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[casi] Economics of lives




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In response to 3,000 Americans killed by terrorism, America has ramped up defense spending by 
around 25billion this year, with more increases to come.  In addition, a new "homeland defense" was 
set up, with a price tag of around 30billion dollars (approximately what the education budget is).  
However, this is not enough!  President Bush has come out stating, of the war on terror:  "You are 
either with us or against us!"  Well, as expected, the rest of the world responded.  In the days 
immediately following 9/11, countries from North America to Africa offered any support they could 
give to the US.  They felt for the 3,000 civilians that died.
What about Africa, where MILLIONS die every year of AIDS?  Does the USA only battle scourges that 
they can "go to war" against (war on drugs, war on terror)?  I think it's very ironic that W 
decided to skip his trip to Africa:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=544&ncid=693&e=3&u=/ap/20021221/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_africa
While, in the same day, this story appears:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=570&ncid=753&e=1&u=/nm/20021221/sc_nm/trade_wto_medicines_usa_dc
>>The United States has worked intensively to find a solution that will provide life-saving drugs 
>to those truly in need, and will continue to work toward that end," said U.S. Trade Representative 
>Robert B. Zoellick.

"We urge others to join us in this moratorium (on WTO dispute settlement actions for patent 
violations) to help poor countries get access to emergency life-saving drugs," he said.

In Geneva earlier, diplomats said the United States had effectively blocked agreement on a global 
pact to allow poor countries to buy cheap drugs to tackle epidemics such as AIDS (news - web 
sites), malaria and tuberculosis. <<

Disgusting.  In the economics of life, the following stats don't measure up to 3,000 dead Americans:

   5.4 million new AIDS infections in 1999, 4 million of them in Africa.
   2.8 million dead of AIDS in 1999, 85 percent of them in Africa.
   13.2 million children orphaned by AIDS, 12.1 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
   Reduced life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa from 59 years to 45 between 2005 and 2010, and in 
Zimbabwe from 61 to 33.
   More than 500,000 babies infected in 1999 by their mothers -- most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
   5.4 million new AIDS infections in 1999, 4 million of them in Africa.
   2.8 million dead of AIDS in 1999, 85 percent of them in Africa.
   13.2 million children orphaned by AIDS, 12.1 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
   Reduced life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa from 59 years to 45 between 2005 and 2010, and in 
Zimbabwe from 61 to 33.
   More than 500,000 babies infected in 1999 by their mothers -- most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/aids/stories/overview/



Bush demanded the rest of the world to line up behind him, no questions asked, when 3,000 Americans 
died.  Meanwhile, this same administration refuses to help out in Africa, even when faced with the 
above statistics.  I don't know which is more amazing, the way this administration is always trying 
to convince us that what's best for their wallet is best for America, or the fact that most 
Americans are buying it.  Bush's economics have deemed the remote possibility that some Americans 
would die eventually from Saddam Hussein is worth an action that may cost over a TRILLION dollars.  
Africa, on the other hand gets less than the cost of upgrading a Turkish military base.  No wonder 
so many people struggle with economics...





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