Bush, Abstinence, and AIDS in Africa

[Imran Siddiqui]

I had taken it for granted that Bush's PEPFAR, while great, was hampered by abstinence only education and no condoms. It seems, that while there was a great deal of funding for abstinence (33% of prevention budget), it was most definitely NOT abstience only and the US gave far more condoms than even Clinton was:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/58270.pdf

Especially interesting are pgs. 25, 33, 34, 35, and 36.

It seems that from 2001 to 2005, total condom procurement by the US went up from 348 million worldwide to 567 million worldwide and 115 million to 241 million among focus countries, and many more countries (like Botswana, Haiti, Rwanda and Tanzania) got condoms from the US that in 2001 had not.

A very interesting take on things and makes Bush's likely only success (though personally I think Iraq may end up one) look even better. And showed me something I wasn't aware of before.

[Thue]

dp

[Thue]

There have enough failures, lies, incompetence, and huge costs from Iraq that it can never become a success in my book.

The best Bush can hope for on Iraq is neutral, in the very best case where all the Iraqis suddenly become model pacifist freedom-loving democratic capitalists, to even up the failures.

[Q Classic]

So, wait. Bush thinks it's okay to give condoms and sex education to Africans, but his party refuses to consider that for Americans?

[Imran Siddiqui]

There is less political pressure to do it for Africans .

Their parents won't go ape **** if they find out that their boy or girl learned how to put a condom on a banana for one. And, they can't vote in our elections.

[Ben Kenobi]

This is more sexual imperialism.

I'm surprised to see you change your tone Imran, now that Bush is out of office.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not liking a person doesn't mean everything he did was evil .

Unlike some, I tend not to view things in black and white.

[Patroklos]

Wow, so it looks like I have already been proven correct inthe other thread.

Thanks Imran

[Q Classic]

There is less political pressure to do it for Africans .

Their parents won't go ape **** if they find out that their boy or girl learned how to put a condom on a banana for one. And, they can't vote in our elections.

So, in other words, it's okay for black people to breed less? But good White Christian Conservatives, no, they should breed more.

But I thought Darwinism was supposed to be anti-God? I'm so confused!

[Imran Siddiqui]

So, in other words, it's okay for black people to breed less? But good White Christian Conservatives, no, they should breed more.

[Q Classic]

It's easy to spin this any way you want, you know.

[Arrian]

First off, to this program. And I'll admit that I too assumed, given the screeching about the abstinence budget, that it was an abstinence only or abstinence mainly program. I was wrong about that. Kudos to Bush for this.

Second, Imran, WTF are you smoking?

though personally I think Iraq may end up [a success]

By which I think you mean that Iraq ends up stable(ish) and vaguely democratic, eventually. I agree that's possible. I don't see how it would make the policy a "success," considering the bull**** about WMDs, the cluster**** that was the first year or two of occupation, the hamfisted reconstruction effort, etc. I mean, set the bar a little higher, ya know? Maybe I'd give you "something better than abject failure."

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think a stable, democratic, functional Iraq is a greater good in the long run than the screwups leading up to it and during until the Surge.

[Lancer]

The africans generally just don't understand and use them for water balloons anyway.

[MrFun]

I bet your head is a lot like a water balloon.