Cure AID's?

Just a debate I have been thinking about.

Do we really want to cure AID's? Maybe even cancer to a lesser extent. I think helping and curing people is a good thing, but normally we think about people we love and are in our "first world". There are all sorts of programs out there to help feed, clothe, and provide medicare for the less fortunate and they are fantastic. It would be inhumane I think to discontinue any programs like these.

We also have a population issue, I feel. So does saving lives, particularily those in 3rd world countries (Which would be cause a HUGE influx in the population) make sense? That's a harsh question, but I can't think of a way to write it. With other issues like shelter/ food/ standard living conditions so questionable anyways, how do we solve these problems, when there is so many talks about curing diseases? What if we are successful? If we are, we better start thinking about ways to equalize the first and third world countries.

I think we should keeping trying to find a cure for both Aids and Cancer. The planets not in danger because it’s getting more crowded its getting more dangerous because we’re consuming too much. It takes 24 acres of land to feed every American for example where the world average is 7.

Hunger isn’t created by a lack of food but by poverty and landlessness which deny people access to food. Our free trade agreements and all the aid we give actually increases hunger by raising the cost of farming, forcing millions of farmers off their land.

Overall I think if we want to continue helping people and ensure population doesn’t become an issue, the more industrialized nations need to stop consuming so much and we need to give back land to farmers.

It's AIDS... no apostrophe needed. I see your point, in a way. Most of the AIDS infected populations are in Africa... ok, so we save them from AIDS... now what? They're still going to die from the thousands of other diseases there... and famine. It's futile.

If we find a vaccine, it'll be instantly bought up by all the rich AIDS infected people, with little or none left for others.

But if this were to happen, I wish it happened some time ago... so that it could have saved Freddie Mercury. :(

I have no time right now, but this is an interesting subject. I think you cannot chose to stop the research to find that cure, because you want to control Africa's population number. It doesn't make sense at all, because they're not the problem of this planet, not at all. Like Flackbait said, and it made alot of sense, the problem of this planet is the industrialized countries who could care less of the people in the need. We consume a **** load of ressources we don't even need to live well while other people in some countries die from famine, etc. They don't have the money to buy food, produce themselves their own food and they can't buy vaccines or protection to have less children or protect themselves against thoese viruses.

We cannot favour our ourselves to the detriment of those people, it doesn't make sense, because it's not fair.

bah not time left, I'll come back!!

You guys speak as if AIDS and HIV are illnesses that you can just take a medication and it'll go away. HIV is a virus, and since viruses tend to mutate oh, every so often, so finding an end all cure for HIV is futile - like curing the flu. AIDS is a condition caused by HIV where a person's immune system has been extremely weakened. Unless you can replenish the body's immune system, you can't restore a person to full health. Most of the treatments you hear about are used to prevent illnesses that people are vulnerable to and can die from since their IS can't handle it. Probably the most effective countermeasure against HIV is to be cautious with who you sleep with or who you share needles with etc.

One more intresting thing, if we were able to allocate every person on the planet the same amount of resources an average Chinese citizen receives (which is around 10% of an American), we'd need 10 earths to meet the demand.

Now that private space travel is possible, we can probably just send a few million people to the moon, and they can form their own colony up there. Problem solved!

mo0chan! I see what you are saying, but I guess my point more or less is what do we do if we stop/prevent/easily treat these conditions? If say "insert family member here" is diagnosed with cancer, we get very emotional and hope/pray they can be saved. Well, what if everyone could be saved easily? Then what happens. You're statistic is interesting and only furthers the complexity of things really.

We strive to find cures/treatments, yet our little planet is having enough trouble as is without more people, and First World countries are right at the top of the trouble list.

[QUOTE=!mo0chan!]
One more intresting thing, if we were able to allocate every person on the planet the same amount of resources an average Chinese citizen receives (which is around 10% of an American), we'd need 10 earths to meet the demand.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's scary. I also heard something where they were saying that if only the Chinese were to consume as much as we do (North Americans), we wouldn't have enough resources for everyone. And guess what? China is in the middle of a HUGE economic expansion (wich is not to slow anytime soon). Life ahead is looking better for the Chinese, but it's the complete opposite if you look at it as a whole. In a few years, there won't be enough oil for the needs of every country and since no gouvernment is trying to find some decent ways to replace this ressource, we will enter in one of the biggest energy crisis in history. And this will happen in about 30-50 years, that means we will still be living when our civilisation as we know it will end.

It looks very apocalyptic, but it's the truth. There is no way we can continue to live like that. In fact, not only the absence of oil will contribute to this crisis, but alot of other ressources. If you look at it, our water reserves has never stopped to diminish, the deforestation all around the world is causing alot of damage and even with all these recommandations from scientists of every countries we don't give a **** about the future and the gouvernment aren't doing anything, just as usual.

You know the Kyoto protocol? It aims to reduce of about 6% of net emissions of certain greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide, and methane) to decrease the earth's temperature. The truth is to be able to have any significant results, we'd need to reduce the global net emission of gases of 60% of what it is at this moment. I believe there's something wrong, but no one seems to realize it.

After hearing the Americans resign from this protocol (was this done while Bush was President? I'd say so), what the hell is this whole convention supposed to do, knowing the USA is the country who produce the most greenhouse gases. IT'S A FREAKING JOKE.

Now to go back on this topic, I think it's obvious that stopping the research to find some cures is far from being the solution to "control" the population number on earth. In fact, like Mo0chan and I stated, we are already more then what the Earth can contain if were all equal.

Now the solution isn't to let the African die, because we decided our lifes had more value then theirs. We are responsible of this and only us can change things. But as it is right now, we can't expect much. I personally don't believe we, as a society, can make enough sacrifices. We are too egoist and don't care about the future generations. So untill this goes, all enjoy your happy little life ;)




I'd give some links to support some of the facts I stated, but it was on a video in French, so I don't think anyone would understand. Also sorry for my lack in english.

The sad thing is this : There will never be a cure for AIDS or for cancer, or if there will be one, it will not be for a long time - because as far as doctor's go, curing AIDS and cancer is a very profitable endeavour. Look how much money has been put into research.. I don't know if it's ever going to come, if it hasn't already.

Pretty bleak to think that way, but I dont know how else it would be.

Now the solution isn't to let the African die, because we decided our lifes had more value then theirs. We are responsible of this and only us can change things. But as it is right now, we can't expect much. I personally don't believe we, as a society, can make enough sacrifices. We are too egoist and don't care about the future generations. So untill this goes, all enjoy your happy little life

When it comes to helping Israel or Africans its a good thing, when its protecting ourselves from terrorists its not our business. We need to stop being the world's "bitch."
About finding cures, go for it, nothing wrong with trying to save lives, but like said before viruses can just mutate them selves to be unaffected to the latest vaccine.