The Racial Divide

[Theatre Guy Z]

I continue to believe that one of the best ways "in" to new conversations about the flawed HIV/AIDS paradigm is through the race issue.

Anthony Fauci's statement...
Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day, February 7, 2009 (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/directors/news/BAAID_09.htm)

and this recent Washington Post story...
washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/14/AR2009031402176.html?hpid=topnews)

...both talk extensively about how people of African decent are disproportionately affected. The Post indicates it jumped from gays and IV drug users into the heterosexual population of blacks - stating that the number one mode of transmission for blacks is heterosexual sex - but for whites it's homosexual sex between men - but for women it's over half through heterosexual sex and a quarter through IV drugs. (Scratch head here.)

And in addition to more inherently racist chatter, Fauci's article continues to perpetuate the notion that 20% of HIV infected people are unaware of their status.

Are officials willing to claim that in comparison to other communities blacks are:
1. more "in the closet"?
2. far more promiscuous?
3. rarely use condoms?
4. far more addicted to IV drugs?

Is Oprah Winfrey willing to state this? What about D.L. Hughley? Barack Obama? And if so - based on what studies? I admit there does seem to be a larger prevalence of IV drug use in black inner-city populations...but what about the first three items?

Taking on the other stat - the 1 in 5 people ignorant of their HIV+ status - where are all these people in hospitals? Given the steady estimate of total HIV infection (around 1.1 million) - should we not be seeing roughly 220,000 people at any given time flooding hospitals with opportunistic infections like PCP Pneumonia, KS, Candida, etc? Where is this plague happening? Or are those nearly quarter of a million people all "slow progressors"?

And as we know, the racial disparity is not only a U.S. issue - it's everywhere in the world. Henry Bauer has certainly reported extensively on this - but why not others? Is anyone in the main stream media willing to take this on? And wouldn't it be great if a black leader took it on?

African Americans need to address this. In epidemiological terms, how does it makes sense that this virus behaves this way - that is chooses people based on race - giving way to this?: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Project | "Black Life Is Worth Saving!" | Get Educated. Get Tested. Get Involved. Get Treated. (http://blackaidsday.org/)

I know much of this has been stated before - but I feel we cannot hammer this issue home enough. And I often think the key to strong dissident arguments has nothing to do with finding the "real cause of AIDS" - but rather, to simply blow holes in the current paradigm. Kary Mullis has often said that he has no obligation to figure out "what" causes AIDS or to propose alternative theories; he is simply observing that the current paradigm is not scientific in the least.

[Expansive Mind]

I know much of this has been stated before - but I feel we cannot hammer this issue home enough. And I often think the key to strong dissident arguments has nothing to do with finding the "real cause of AIDS" - but rather, to simply blow holes in the current paradigm.

Exactly. This is the main focus. Trying to "explain aids" is like administering cpr to a failed theory.

[matthewi]

Racism is one way to approach people about dissent. It is important not to just come out saying HIV does not cause AIDS and the tests are non-specific and cross-reactive. It needs to be brought into the conversation using racism, homophobia, or anything that would appeal to that person ie-racism is he is black or homophobia if he is gay....

[T.rex]

i've read that african aids is a racist construct in that it is partly propagated on a myth that africans partake in more unprotected sex and have more sexual partners. they've done studies and found that africans partake in these activities no more than people in the States.

[HansSelyeWasCorrect]

Is it "racism" or "liberal guilt?" Perhaps they are two sides of the same coin (depending upon how you define them, of course). Is it the same kind of attitude that led to a lot of gay American guys taking huge doses of AZT? Whatever the case, my guess is that it has a lot to do with notions of "otherness," in that well-to-do, middle aged or older white guys (like Fauci) don't see much in the way of "HIV/AIDS" around them, but they "know" it's an "epidemic," so they look to "studies" of people they view as "others" (probably mostly unconsciously, in Freudian terminology), and find that that is where the "epidemic" (or whatever the perceived threat or problem is) exists. It confirms their notions, allows them to feel at least relatively safe, and allows them to feel that their endeavors have a "heroic" quality, regardless of how much actual damage they are doing.

[StarZ]

Its a hard one but it explains alot. Why come uo with a well thought out solution if the consequemces are happening to someone else. Its climate change all over again. Even if its us causing climate change the level of toxicity is pushing us to the brink on our own planet, but clearly people feel its someone elses (future) problem. The psychology of these societies is so well understood plus 'plants' and opinion leaders who are those people a group looks upto anyway are seeded to say somethings in a certain way. Its hard to get into the nitty-gritty with a guy who has revered some celeb telling him its his responsibility to get treated, disclose willynilly and get treated. Who would walk away from treatment when clearly millions of Africans are dying of deficiency of same? All the parts are moving in a well oiled machine, when all Americas Black people are medicated they will go after Asians before they make this a middle class disease. Besides some societies believe the hype, as an African who watched it all unfold as a child, oneday noone spoke about sex without blushing and the next everyone believed the worst of everyone who coughed and everyone was talking about condoms. It was so well orchestrated it overwhelmed the values of that society and everyone envied the rich who were buying their own AZT when the government could not supply.nThey still dies an awful death but we were se well trained we didnt wonder why the alleged medicine did not work. In a tropical country with a skeletal medical system people died of things a RN can fix with a small emergency box and salve. The truth is by the time they come for the most resistent societies they too will well primed. The holes we know about the dogma dont make it in compared to the 25yrs of it will get you good so far. People with PhDs in micro, or bio anything cant see it at all. The only thing that will work is survivors, plenty of fit healthy blacks, gays, recovered IV users, commercial sex workers 20yrs after diagnosis because HIV says you will die, lets deliver the world some suivivors, too many to say rare genetics or whatever. Un-dead poz folk will bust the paradigm in a rush, even if it never changes Gallos mind etc, a few newly diagnosed people will wonder, a few more care givers will wonder, a few more students will wonder. So many support groups for every disease online telling people to take their power back all start coz one guy dared to not get cut and drink tea his cancer away. The extent to which traditional doctors were removed from the treatment repetoire of the most rural of Africans in my country was tragic, knowing now that HIV is a cluster of original illnesses (refered to as symptoms) and that no cure is necessary was a step in the collective consciousness that led to many deaths. The race thing is incidental to HIV at this point, because the poorest people were black, under informed, vulnerable, gullible and under recourced-they took death to the dying fields and noone saw them arrive. It could have happened to anyone and does happen to trailer park white folk, squatter camps on all continents. Dying in Africa proves nothing for us, living says a lot and that is where all the 'most affected' groups need to take it now.