Desmond Tutu criticizes Obama, praises Bush over African AIDS commitment

[Bluebear]

Oh, oh, watch out Archbishop Tutu!

=======

via americablog:

What I have always appreciated about Desmond Tutu is that he's not afraid to call out anyone. When praise is due, he's quickly there to offer praise. When criticism is deserved, he's not shy regardless of who it is or what position that person holds. Tutu is one of the best out there. NY Times Op Ed:

HAVING met President Obama, I’m confident that he’s a man of conscience who shares my commitment to bringing hope and care to the world’s poor. But I am saddened by his decision to spend less than he promised to treat AIDS patients in Africa.

George W. Bush made an impressive commitment to the international fight against AIDS when he formed the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program. Since 2004, Pepfar has spent $19 billion to help distribute anti-viral treatments to about 2.5 million Africans infected with H.I.V.

Thanks to these efforts — and similar initiatives, like those spearheaded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — the number of African patients with access to AIDS drugs jumped tenfold from 2003 to 2008. Since 2004, the AIDS-related mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa has dropped 18 percent.

Yet President Obama added only $366 million to the program this year — well below the $1 billion per year he promised to add when he was on the campaign trail. (Pepfar’s total budget now stands at $7 billion.) Most of the countries in Pepfar will see no increase in aid.

Under the Bush administration, about 400,000 more African patients received treatment every year. President Obama’s Pepfar strategy would reduce the number of new patients receiving treatment to 320,000 — resulting in 1.2 million avoidable deaths over the next five years, according to calculations by two Harvard researchers, Rochelle Walensky and Daniel Kuritzkes. Doctors would have to decide which of the 22 million Africans afflicted with H.I.V. should receive treatment and which should not.

http://www.americablog.com/2010/07/desmond-tutu-criticizes-obama-praises.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/opinion/21tutu.html?_r=2

[Arkana]

1. With respect to Tutu, I would point out to him that Bush only gave them that money

on the condition that the sex ed programs taught abstinence-only.

[NJmaverick]

2. Archbishop Tutu is trying to pressure the President to give more money for a good cause

why should he have anything to watch out for?

[Arkana]

3. I know the OP has me on ignore, NJ--so chances are he won't see any of our posts.

[NJmaverick]

16. I suspect more like ignores that fact that don't fit a predetermined narrative

[Ian David]

4. Maybe the $366 million will be used to provide condoms to PREVENT AIDS. n/t

[Bluebear]

7. Condoms are still highly stigmatized in African culture....

Still, 7% of the budget is dedicated towards adult prevention. As you can see from the chart, adult treatment and drug procurement are the bulk of the spending. You can't take $366 million and devote it to condoms which may or may not be used, the budget percentages are set. Fully funding it is another matter.

[sufrommich]

5. Watch out for what?

Seems like a legitimate gripe to me.

[Bluebear]

9. Any criticism of the administration can be hazardous to their reputations here.

Thank you, though, Tutu's criticism is fully justified here.

[sufrommich]

14. That's not true. I've seen plenty of criticism of Obama here.

I see now that I've inserted myself into another forum war thread so I'll just be leaving.

[Bluebear]

19. ok thanks for dropping by :)

[ProSense]

15. What about

the facts and the reputation of people who choose to ignore them for an Obama sucks narrative?

The Obama Administration has made a significant investment – and increases – in our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and improve the health of those living in developing countries. President Obama requested increases for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in both his FY 2010 and FY 2011 budgets, as part of a $63 billion Global Health Initiative (GHI). In fact, the FY 2011 request is the largest request to date in a President’s Budget, and the program is slated to increase in the years ahead. The President’s FY 2011 budget request for the Global Fund is the largest request ever and represents a doubling of the budget request from FY 2009. Between 2004 and 2008, the U.S. devoted a cumulative $17 billion to the global fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2011 alone, the President request nearly $7 billion. In addition, the United States will not be reducing the number of people it is supporting on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. During FY 2009, PEPFAR increased the number of people directly supported on treatment from 1.7 million to nearly 2.5 million. The numbers of those treated in coming years will not be reduced either. By 2014 the United States will be supporting more than 4 million people on anti-retroviral treatments.

As a UNAIDS report documented just days ago, the United States provided 58 percent of all funds worldwide to fight HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Furthermore, while numerous developed countries were cutting back on their support for HIV/AIDS between 2008 and 2009, the United States actually increased its funding by more than 10 percent. The fact that these increases were done during the worst recession in a generation and a deteriorating fiscal situation speaks volumes about the President’s – and our country’s – commitment to the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

link

PEPFAR
Presidents’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR) is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease – a five-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating the disease in more than 120 countries around the world.

It's not hard to find the most current information available.

[ProSense]

6. Stands in stark contrast

to the facts:

The Obama Administration has made a significant investment – and increases – in our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and improve the health of those living in developing countries. President Obama requested increases for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in both his FY 2010 and FY 2011 budgets, as part of a $63 billion Global Health Initiative (GHI). In fact, the FY 2011 request is the largest request to date in a President’s Budget, and the program is slated to increase in the years ahead. The President’s FY 2011 budget request for the Global Fund is the largest request ever and represents a doubling of the budget request from FY 2009. Between 2004 and 2008, the U.S. devoted a cumulative $17 billion to the global fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2011 alone, the President request nearly $7 billion. In addition, the United States will not be reducing the number of people it is supporting on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. During FY 2009, PEPFAR increased the number of people directly supported on treatment from 1.7 million to nearly 2.5 million. The numbers of those treated in coming years will not be reduced either. By 2014 the United States will be supporting more than 4 million people on anti-retroviral treatments.

As a UNAIDS report documented just days ago, the United States provided 58 percent of all funds worldwide to fight HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Furthermore, while numerous developed countries were cutting back on their support for HIV/AIDS between 2008 and 2009, the United States actually increased its funding by more than 10 percent. The fact that these increases were done during the worst recession in a generation and a deteriorating fiscal situation speaks volumes about the President’s – and our country’s – commitment to the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

link

PEPFAR
Presidents’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR) is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease – a five-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating the disease in more than 120 countries around the world.

[JVS]

8. Oh boy

:popcorn:

[Bluebear]

11. The ignored storm has already begun.

I could care less. A, it is a commitment we have made as a nation to Africa. B, the funding level was a campaign promise. Take an eyedropper from Defense and give it to these people who desperately need it.

[NJmaverick]

13. Your storm appears to be wholly imaginary

[Binka]

17. Amen K&R

[Bluebear]

22. binks

:hug:

[SidDithers]

18. "I could care less"...

I laugh every time I see that. :rofl:

Sid

[tabatha]

10. He does not have to watch out for anything.

He criticized Mandela which resulted in Mandela marrying Gracha Machel.

I love both Tutu and Obama.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMUhmiPUT2s

[Name removed]

12. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberalmuse]

20. Ouch!

Not what I wanted to read today. I'm sure President Obama will end up seeing this and remedy it. Then again, Bush had a lot of money to throw around. A Lot. However, if you're going to dole out the meager money left, you'd thing our AIDS committment to Africa and elsewhere would be a top priority.

[QC]

21. Desmond Tutu never really loved him!

:cry:

[Bluebear]

25. !

[Johonny]

23. Shouldn't he ask China instead

they got money. All we can them is Chinese money repackaged as as a future loan to ourselves.

[Bluebear]

24. No, because A) PEPFAR is an American program & B) it was a campaign promise

He is only asking for what we pledged.

[USArmyParatrooper]

26. BlueBear posting an anti-Obama thread???

Say it ain't so!

[racaulk]

27. Bluebear isn't clapping loud enough.

:cry:

[USArmyParatrooper]

28. I got bad news for you and Blue

It's looking like the DADT repeal legislation is going to be voted on in September and signed into law. The Repubs aren't unlikely to filibuster since it will be attached to the defense funding bill. I know you guys were hoping it would fail, but don't worry. I'm sure you'll manufacture some crazy argument like Obama tried to "block" it, or something similar.

[racaulk]

29. Ummm...how would a DADT repeal be *bad* news?

"I know you guys were hoping it would fail, but don't worry. I'm sure you'll manufacture some crazy argument like Obama tried to "block" it, or something similar."

Trust me, if the Senate follows the House and passes (and the President signs into law) a bill that fully repeals DADT, I would be ecstatic! I will, however, hold off on my celebrating and cavalier predictions until that time comes, because there are no depths that the Repukes in the Senate won't sink to in order to derail President Obama's agenda.

However, I would like you to reference a single thread where I posted that I hope the DADT repeal will fail. Just one. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Sweetie, you know nothing about me and are really reaching and talking out of you ass here. Furthermore, your comments in this subthread have nothing to do with Bluebear's OP.

[USArmyParatrooper]

30. Well you did admit repealing DADT is Pres Obama's agenda

But your little beaver icon and your unfounded, snide remark about me expecting loud clapping lead me to believe you're another BlueBear clone.

If the repeal happens will you credit Obama for keeping his promise?

[racaulk]

31. My snide remark was in response to yours.

Besides, you have a nice beaver avatar of your own. ;)

If DADT is fully repealed during Obama's Presidency, I will absolutely give him (and Congress) credit for making that happen. You can hold me to that.

[USArmyParatrooper]

37. Good. I appologize for misjudging you

[Imperfect]

32. What do you think of Tutu's allegation?

?

I noticed you attacked the person who authored the thread rather than the comments by Tutu, for some reason.

[QC]

39. Still no answer, I see. n/t

[Bluebear]

34. I can only imagine the simpleton-like callout that "ignored" is undertaking.

Thanks for deflecting it :)

[QC]

38. IF WE DON'T CLAP HARD ENOUGH, TINKERBELL WILL DIE!!!!!

[Bluenorthwest]

33. I'm with Desmond

Anyone who reads this OP and sees it as being about a wealthy, healthy American politician or about Desmond TuTu does not have their priorities in order. This is about the least of those among us earthlings, 22 million Africans afflicted with HIV.
Now, who wants to tell me this is about Obama? You will need 22 million reasons to counter Desmond's point.

[Snotcicles]

36. I'm with you. The only thing I will ever praise GW for was the aids package. nt

[Behind the Aegis]

35. Beeep! Beeep! Beeep! The bus backs up (and over) for thee!