News Round-Up

There's a descriptive word for this: PUSSIES!

I heard on the radio Chirac harshly criticized the US for not making cheaper AIDS drugs available to poorer countries with AIDS problems. I used to think Chirac may have a point about things, but now I think he's just a demagogue. France is free to develop a cure for AIDs and then get it to everybody for free - oh, I forgot, not only can they not afford to, they don't have the will or the capability. They don't have the brains, heart, or balls. But Chirac sure can criticize.

Here's the thing: AIDs drugs are clearly a big issue. Of course everyone in the world should, ideally, be entitled to the best possible medicines and treatment. But the reality is, you can't develop technology without investment. And you can't get investment without the propect of profit. Who would pay to invest in AIDs drug research? I imagine there are millions of Americans and millions of French who have never donated a penny towards an AIDs foundation - and I'm one of them. If I were a better person, I'd either devote all my free time to coming up with cures for diseases, or making money so I could donate it to people who would...

It's all a matter of resources, and I think persuasion and compromises should be made. There has been an effort for cheap generics to be distributed to poorer countries (i forgot the name of the law). Chirac thinks there needs to be more, with less restrictions. In short he's saying: "US companies and the US government have an obligation to provide these things to the third world, while France is entitled to sit around not contribute, because, the US is richer." I dunno, to me, it doesn't seem to me to be his place to criticize.

Oh, and I guess this is a good thing. He doesn't seem too important, but I'll take any good news I can get when it comes to the war on terror.