The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson is flirting with HIV-Aids denialism which is unfortunate for two reasons. Firstly it means that Sunny Hundal is largely correct about something and secondly it gives credence to dangerous psuedo-science.
It is dangerous, several converts to Aids denialism have ended up dying because they refused treatment for their illness, denialism is understandably quite high among those infected with the HIV virus, as have the children of those who deny a causal link between HIV and Aids. When this crazy idea makes its way into public policy, as with Thabo Mbeki's South Africa, the results can be horrendous.
Furthermore in the case of the documentary Nelson is promoting, House of Numbers, there is enough information around to demonstrate the mendaciousness of the film.
It also instantly undermines anyone who has a serious point to make about Aids infection rates, for example those who point out that infection rates in Africa appear to have been wildly overstated.
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9 comments:
So what's the truth of the matter then?
Surprised and sorry to see that you have been suckered into believing the whole AIDS / HIV thing.
The truth is out there and it´s a lot more straightforward than you might think. Homosexuals started dying in the 70s and 80s due to their unhealthy lifestyle choices (drugs, promiscuity, etc). Rather than accept the error of their ways they launched a crusade to absolve themselves of responsibility, generate sympathy and raise a lot of cash. It worked a treat - as your post shows.
Oh, good grief...
"Homosexuals started dying in the 70s and 80s due to their unhealthy lifestyle choices (drugs, promiscuity, etc)."
Well, I'm sold on that theory.
Obviously, medical science hadn't seen any drug-induced deaths up to that point, so mistook them for a virus! When you see it written down like that, it's all so clear...
"Obviously, medical science hadn't seen any drug-induced deaths up to that point, so mistook them for a virus! "
Exactly.
"Homosexuals started dying in the 70s and 80s due to their unhealthy lifestyle choices "
Were homosexuals noted for their chastity and monogamy before the 1970s?
As you say isn't the telling - and sad - point the woman in the film died of Aids, as did her 3yr old child?
It's difficult steering the narrow path between the Denialists on the one side and the Rent-seekers on the other side who exaggerate the figures. But you seem to be steering it well.
Yes, which is presumably why Maggoire's death merits only a brief mention in the film's end credits, or so the reviewers have said. I'm not usually in favour of the state taking people's children away but there should have been some sort of intervention to protect her daughter at an earlier stage.
A film's message hasn't been so undermined by the death of one of it's advisers since Disney's "Brother Bear", which preached about the peaceful nature of bears, was released just a few months after their technical adviser, Timothy Treadwell, was mauled to death by Grizzlies.
My previous post was a reply to Matthew, not Mark.
Julia M,
I know it sounds incredible that the scientific community would make such a basic error ... except it isn´t. This is the post-modern scientific community we are talking about and they are much more concerned with being politically correct, securing government grants and providing politically and socially expedient excuses for their client base than discovering the truth. Think global warming and you´ll get the general idea.
Ross,
It was the combination of drugs and promiscuity on an unprecedented scale that triggered the problems - too many attacks on the immune system for it to cope. The result was that bodies simply never quite got the chance they needed to recover and finally succumbed.
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