Monday, July 06, 2009

What a coincidence! The ABC program for HIV/AIDS works again

In 2003, George W. Bush began a program called the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It spent $15 billion on preventing AIDS in developing countries, as well as buying medicine and care for those who already have it. It's a really bizarre coincidence that the worst president in history was behind one of the greatest successes in the fight against AIDS. It is estimated that the fund, which amounted to around $15 billion has helped reduce AIDS by 10% in the areas where the money went. How could someone so horrible do something so good?

But an even greater coincidence is that the method it employed to reduce HIV/AIDS rates was largely based on the ABC program, which means first of all practice Abstinence, then Be faithful (to one partner), and finally if necessary use Condoms. Those are the ABCs: Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condoms (if necessary). We all know that abstinence programming doesn't work. The only thing that can ever work is more condoms right? Well, the strange coincidence is that Haiti has recently announced a dramatic drop in its AIDS rate after employing this program. But how could this program work the way George Bush implemented it? He didn't encourage more condom use... hmm... how bizarre.

Of course, despite the dramatic lowering of AIDS rates in Haiti, critics still contend that the A of the ABC program needs to be dropped. That's also interesting given the fact that the countries in Africa, for example, where condoms have been more available than clean water for 25 years have experienced only an increase in HIV/AIDS rates. That's with the exception of Uganda, which vigorously promoted ABC also, and which is one of the only countries in Africa to experience a decline in AIDS rates.

This must surely be a coincidence! And fortunately one person knows just how big a coincidence this really is. Even though to the average person a program which when implemented reduces AIDS by 10% would seem to be a success, as opposed to others which focus on condom use and see an increase in AIDS rates, we are fortunate to have a President in the United States who is so much more advanced and can tell that OBVIOUSLY the ABC program would be better if it were simply the C program! This visionary can see beyond the statistics and medical information, beyond the obvious, and see something that no one else can seem to understand. I don't expect the average person to comprehend this, but according to Obama, the best way to fix a situation for which a particular solution isn't working is not to abolish that solution, but rather to expand it!

If you don't see the logic in this, there's something that might help. Just listen to Obama as he strings together impressive sounding words, mixed in with a healthy dose of "change" and "believe" and "this is our time", etc. etc. etc. and eventually, or so he hopes, you will be chanting the name of Obama and not using your logic and reasoning anymore. Isn't that what they call an automaton?

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