South Africa digs in for anticipated American Invasion. is scorched Earth iminent?

monkspider · December 19, 2002, 01:52

http://www.guardian.co.uk/internatio...861272,00.html

South Africa cannot afford drugs to fight HIV/Aids partly because it needs submarines to deter attacks from nations such as the US, its health minister said.
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told the Guardian that budgetary priorities meant her department could not provide anti-retrovirals to the estimated 4.5m South Africans with HIV. "We don't have the money for that. Where would it come from?"

Asked if it could come from defence savings from leaving out the submarines which formed part of a £4bn arms deal, the minister said that South Africa needed to deter aggressors: "Look at what Bush is doing. He could invade."

President Bush is expected to visit South Africa in January although only as part of a diplomatic tour of several African countries

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Who's next? Zambia?

Seeker · December 19, 2002, 01:54

Well, the marxists there ARE in supposedly in bed with China...

Shi Huangdi · December 19, 2002, 01:55

Man, what a pathetic excuse. What's sad though is alot of the South African people actually believe this government lie and so won't demand anti-HIV drugs.

Drake Tungsten · December 19, 2002, 02:04

You actually bought that glonky excuse, monkspider? The minister is just using anti-Americanism as a convenient cover for South Africa's horrible AIDS policy. It's pretty obvious that the South African government cares more about submarines than their own people.

monkspider · December 19, 2002, 02:06

Come on Drake, I thought it was pretty clear I was posting this in a lampoon-type vein.
But then again, it could be fairly sad that you never know what Bush may do.

Drake Tungsten · December 19, 2002, 02:08

I apologize if you were joking, monkspider. Normally I would just assume that, but you never know what you'll read here on Apolyton. I've seen more ridiculous things posted in all seriousness.

My bad.

Shi Huangdi · December 19, 2002, 02:09

Quote:

[SIZE=1]
But then again, it could be fairly sad that you never know what Bush may do.

If you think that the threat of an attack on South Africa is at all realalistic you have completely lost touch with reality.

monkspider · December 19, 2002, 02:11

Of course I don't think it is realistic! I thought the "scorched earth" remark was a big giveaway. Give me some credit guys. Even if I am a conspiracy-minded Commie.

Shi Huangdi · December 19, 2002, 02:15

Ok fine fair enough, it seemed like you were giving some credence to what that health minister was saying with "But then again, it could be fairly sad that you never know what Bush may do. "

orange · December 19, 2002, 03:03

It's total crap, but the fact that an actual head of state in South Africa, far from both the United States and Iraq, would say such a thing publically does speak volumes for world opinion of the US and its foreign policies.

Gatekeeper · December 19, 2002, 04:03

**licks blood-soaked, cavernous, spike-toothed American jaws** Mhhhhmmm. Cuba much closer. Must EATTTTTT ... **chomps on Fidel's leg** Ewww! It's stringy! **ptooie!**

**licks blood-soaked, cavernous, spike-toothed American jaws again** Mhhhhmmm. South Africa far, far away. Must be adventuresome ...

**licks blood-soaked, cavernous, spike-toothed American jaws for third time** Mhhhhmmm. Donuts better than Cuba or South Africa. Especially dunked in milk!

Gatekeeper

Arrian · December 19, 2002, 10:31

SpencerH · December 19, 2002, 10:45

I think its sad evidence that after Mandela 'kicks the bucket', SA will go down the same dark road taken by Rhodesia .

mrmitchell · December 19, 2002, 10:47

What a pathetic excuse.

What's worse is that this would be believable for a middle eastern country, if they had an AIDS/HIV epidemic.

However, this is South Africa, and Bush isn't going to attack it. (Yet)

Dauphin · December 19, 2002, 10:47

Given the percentage of people infected, a better argument would be that naturally evolved immunity will be cheaper.

SpencerH · December 19, 2002, 10:54

What makes it all the worse is that the drug companies have dropped the prices for most anti-retroviral therapies for these countries to something like $2-300/year/patient (a fraction of the cost here).

Urban Ranger · December 19, 2002, 12:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
If you think that the threat of an attack on South Africa is at all realalistic you have completely lost touch with reality.

Not worse than, say, Missile Defense.

Lonestar · December 19, 2002, 13:47

Last I checked, SA didn't have missiles capable of whacking the continental US. I understand they had nukes at one point though.

chequita guevara · December 19, 2002, 13:48

I think it's just a ploy by the SA government to justify their policy of screwing over people with HIV. Remember, this is the President who think HIV isn't spread by a virus.

OneFootInTheGrave · December 19, 2002, 13:50

South Africa has nukes actually, but apparently had no way to deliver them. I'll find the link somewhere.

Giancarlo · December 19, 2002, 13:51

Even I agree with Chegitz... the SA government is just full of it. I mean the US isn't gonna strike... and they would rather spend their money on submarines rather than trying to treat the problem.

OneFootInTheGrave · December 19, 2002, 13:56

Here is the history...

http://cns.miis.edu/research/safrica/chron.htm

aparently they have built and disarmed completley... but you never know

Lonestar · December 19, 2002, 13:58

I heard Mississippi had a nuclear arms program going, but it turned out to be a Timex "Indiglo" watch and some pine needles.

Jack_www · December 19, 2002, 14:21

This is so funny. Why would the US attack south Africa, all they are doing is trying to deflect the blame from them on to the US as all have already said.

I dont see how submarines are going to stop any nation from invading South Africa.

Jack_www · December 19, 2002, 14:24

THis reminds me of the epsiode of Babylon 5 show, well it was the one where they went around looking for a cure to the pleag on earth. Anyways they find some alliens in a escape pod. They think that the humans have been coming to their planet and government was covering it up and the humans were making them spend money on all kinds of stuff, when really humans never been to their planet and the government just made it up so that people would blame the humans when ever funding for a government program got cut or something else got messed up.

Shi Huangdi · December 19, 2002, 14:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

Not worse than, say, Missile Defense.

Thank you, Mr.I-am-going-to-bring-up-something-completely-unrelated-to-the-topic-so-I-can-be-a-wiseass Man!

Kc7mxo · December 19, 2002, 14:45

Quote:

THis reminds me of the epsiode of Babylon 5 show, well it was the one where they went around looking for a cure to the pleag on earth. Anyways they find some alliens in a escape pod. They think that the humans have been coming to their planet and government was covering it up and the humans were making them spend money on all kinds of stuff, when really humans never been to their planet and the government just made it up so that people would blame the humans when ever funding for a government program got cut or something else got messed up.

That was a funny episode. Nice xfiles spoof.

I liked how at the end the captain was so pissed off he dumped 500 copies of the the interstellar encyclopedia into the major population centers of the planet.

Chris 62 · December 19, 2002, 16:03

They are wasting their time, we can easily sweep whatever subs they employ.

Az · December 19, 2002, 16:50

I wanted to post the same thing.

DinoDoc · December 19, 2002, 16:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Lonestar
I heard Mississippi had a nuclear arms program going, but it turned out to be a Timex "Indiglo" watch and some pine needles.

That was supposed to be aclosely guarded secret!