Would you choose to rid the world AIDS...

What would you do if?

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Would you do it?

Yes
14
40%
No
21
60%
 
Total votes: 35

Sjoerd
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Would you choose to rid the world AIDS...

Post #1

Post by Sjoerd »

Suppose an alien from outer space hands you a device that can track down and destroy all HIV RNA/DNA in the world. One disadvantage: any human being with detectable quantities of HIV will not survive the process.

What would you do?
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bluethread
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Post #31

Post by bluethread »

Cephus wrote: I would do it. After all, everyone with AIDS is already going to die (as will we all), most of them will have a vastly diminished lifespan and a miserable existence anyhow. If I could stop further people from being infected with the disease, I'd have no problem sacrificing people who are already affected and the same goes for many other diseases as well.

Just think, had someone in the Dark Ages had that alternative with the black plague when it was getting started, before 1/3 of Europe died of it, would that have been a bad call? I don't think so.
What stopped the black plague was washing and bathing. AIDS is an infection of the immune system. Most causes of death from disease are the result of a weakened immune system. As has been pointed out, some who contract HIV do not develop AIDS. It was the same with the black plague. The best deterrence for most diseases is a combination of avoidance of high risk behaviors and a healthy immune system.

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Mask of the Devil
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Post #32

Post by Mask of the Devil »

In my opinion, AIDS is not caused ( only ) by the HIV virus but by several factors that contribut to destroy the immunitary system.

Back to the question: no, I would not do anything similar, even if it would not require to kill millions of humans. It would have unpredicable, large-scale consequences that I have no way to anticipate. Starvation and sovrapopulation kills as much people as disease.

tugofwarstrum
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Post #33

Post by tugofwarstrum »

ConfinedIX wrote: As Elle put it, no. It is an unfortunate part of life and people need to accept that. Also as Elle said, it isn't the only diease, ect. in this world. My best friend is most likely going to die in the next 10 years from a genetic disease she was born with, but instead of worrying about it I am cherishing what time I have with her.

It is no different with people that have HIV/AIDS. Their family and friends should cherish what time they have left.

On a side note HIV/AIDS is a very good reason why Sex Education should be taught in every available school system. The lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS increases the chances that it will continue to spread like a plague.

Also, I am sure within the next few decades that scientists will have either come up with a way to combat it or be close to finding it out.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_ ... ds_vaccine
When you say sex education it better be completely purged of all religious ideas of what sex ed should be because religious sex ed is not sex ed it's nothing more than a magnet for more disease

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help3434
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Re: Would you choose to rid the world AIDS...

Post #34

Post by help3434 »

[Replying to post 1 by Sjoerd]

No! Answering yes is insane. Aids is not the zombie apocolypse. As others have mentioned by using precautions people can pretty much insure that it doesn't spread to them. With the right medical treatment people like Magic Johnson have lived productive lives for decades with HIV.

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Neatras
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Post #35

Post by Neatras »

I agree with Tiberius that taking the device and storing it for usage in emergencies is the correct call; it is pragmatically viable to have additional options at our disposal in the event of calamity, however I don't believe we've reached the tipping point yet. Moreover, the device itself isn't magic, it can be studied. If we can analyze how the device detects HIV and AIDS, we're already making a fantastic leap forward.

shnarkle
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Re: Would you choose to rid the world AIDS...

Post #36

Post by shnarkle »

Sjoerd wrote: Suppose an alien from outer space hands you a device that can track down and destroy all HIV RNA/DNA in the world. One disadvantage: any human being with detectable quantities of HIV will not survive the process.

What would you do?
Nothing because that's what the HIV does already, right? Albeit, it isn't just with detectable quantities, but the end result is the same.

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Post #37

Post by shnarkle »

bluethread wrote:
Cephus wrote: I would do it. After all, everyone with AIDS is already going to die (as will we all), most of them will have a vastly diminished lifespan and a miserable existence anyhow. If I could stop further people from being infected with the disease, I'd have no problem sacrificing people who are already affected and the same goes for many other diseases as well.

Just think, had someone in the Dark Ages had that alternative with the black plague when it was getting started, before 1/3 of Europe died of it, would that have been a bad call? I don't think so.
What stopped the black plague was washing and bathing. AIDS is an infection of the immune system. Most causes of death from disease are the result of a weakened immune system. As has been pointed out, some who contract HIV do not develop AIDS. It was the same with the black plague. The best deterrence for most diseases is a combination of avoidance of high risk behaviors and a healthy immune system.
It's interesting that you mention the Black Death here because there were some studies done a few decades ago where they concluded that those who survived the Black Death (meaning those who contracted it and survived) were precisely those who could carry the HIV and not suffer any deleterious side effects whatsoever. They could transmit the virus without ever becoming symptomatic themselves.

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Purple Knight
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Post #38

Post by Purple Knight »

AIDS is one of the only things restraining human population.

I know this is immoral, but I wouldn't get rid of it even if I could do it without the unpleasant death bit.

If I thought people were capable of retraining their number on their own, however, then yes, I would absolutely press that button. In fact I would walk into the UN and tell them I had it, and say that if every nation instituted population control, I would press the button.
Jakeypoo wrote:Would you actively kill all of these people and then take the punishment for murder?
Yes, but if I wanted out of it anyway I would just drop it on the floor of the UN and let them figure it out.
Tiberius47 wrote: I'd take it, but I wouldn't use it until we were very sure that aids was spreading and we weren't able to stop it.

It's a last-chance weapon, to be used at the last chance.
The only thing I don't like about this answer is that more people ultimately die to the device.
NotApplicable wrote: I voted no. Any time anyone is killing ''for the greater good'' you can be certain that person is morally corrupt.
A person self-defending his home and his children against an attacker qualifies as this.

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Re: Would you choose to rid the world AIDS...

Post #39

Post by nobspeople »

Sjoerd wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:29 pm Suppose an alien from outer space hands you a device that can track down and destroy all HIV RNA/DNA in the world. One disadvantage: any human being with detectable quantities of HIV will not survive the process.

What would you do?
Some look at diseases as a natural way of population balance. Some see them as punishment by God. Some don't care one way or the other.
I'd vote for eradicating it only if we grew from the knowledge, treatment and prevention from it.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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