Hi Anonymous,
I would like to share in your concern for good science and fairness, and I would like to see your evidence...that "Western scientists have promoted promoted the hypothesis that the AIDS epidemic began in Africa, arguing that either AIDS had existed for many years in an African "lost tribe" or that a retrovirus crossed the species barrier from monkey to man.

1) I keep seeing references, almost always unsupported by thorough reasonaing, to "Western" parties as the eternal bad man. That, in your thesis, reads suspiciously like being racist itself, but I hope you're not racist. I would like to see you clear up this little question. What is your evidence to blame "Western" scientists for what you view as apparently bad faith and dishonest work (despite your admitted lack of scientific training, in another post today). It seems to be a fad now to blame "Western" civilization. On NPR they recently explained that women have traditionally been denied property rights under "Western" law.
How about "Eastern" law? "Not to mention" -- at least not on NPR!

2) The term "promoted" strongly places the question in terms of media, public relations, advertising and advocacy. Scientists rely on persons from those fields to do most of their their "promoting." If you are saying that scientists are advocating these theories with force and influencing public policy with an agenda of creating havoc in Africa, that is very strange and worth exposing if true.
The first impression I have is that real scientists doing real science would have their hands full trying to do the science, which can be a laborious and lonely process. If you have truly found scientists "promoting," please name them. It could definitely do some good.

Mike

• Who are you? - secretary - December 6, 2003 - 13:51 UTC