What is this, the Oregon Trail?

Posted by Kate G. in Politics.

Cholera, are we joking?

What year is it?!

Evidently, the US–and pretty much every other country that is sitting on their ass as Africa goes to shit, per usual–has its priorities out of order: so much so that preventable, old-timey diseases like cholera are killing hundreds in Zimbabwe.

I remember when cholera was fun. Had some good times.

Because it was just a computer game.

Remember how, like, everyone you knew ended up with cholera in “Oregon Trail?” If it wasn’t a snakebite or a broken axel, someone would go off and drink some dirty-ass water and ruin your perfect game by dying of cholera. You’d hit “Esc” and start over, swearing you’d be a Doctor this time around and leave your brother off the wagon.

Well, ask anyone in Africa: there’s no Escape.

It’s bad enough we take AIDS as lightly as we do. We, the most self-righteous and myopic nation in the Western world, love to take continental pandemics and reduce them to morality or foreign policy issues. If the country doesn’t honor what we consider “traditional” family structures and no sex before marriage (even if marriage doesn’t EXIST in their culture), we refuse them AIDS treatment past in-utero care (since those little fetuses didn’t ask to be born heathens, right?). Or if the country in question happens to have left-leaning governments or a structure we don’t recognize, we drive right on by, rolling up our windows to seal in our A.C. and seal out the stench of death and decaying human beings.

And now, cholera. Cholera?! I understand–to a degree–our lack of cure for AIDS, as it mutates so quickly and blah blah blah. But cholera?! It’s a disease that only in the past few years has resurfaced in Zimbabwe as a result of yet another militant, power-hungry despot wrenching control from the majority: in this case, Robert Mugabe.

But it’s only hundreds of people, right? I mean, we’ve already slaughtered hundreds of <i>thousands</i> of Iraqi citizens, and our government’s policy on the genocide in Sudan (YEAH, still happening)is pretty much “Darfur who?”. I mean, we wouldn’t even sign an agreement to keep UN peacekeeping troops in the country. But that’s another story for another day.

So what have we done about cholera? What we always do: try to start another WAR over it.

Yep. According to this article from AllAfrica.com, the Western world–y’know, us rich people with the good supplies and airplanes and troops–were going to try to use this outbreak as a validation for inciting aggression in the region, while the developing countries such as other African nations and even China have stepped up and donated what they can.

Are we that far gone? Are we so removed from reality that we can’t see the humanity of this issue? Of any issue in Africa? Is this just one big game of Risk with lots of little black pawns to our government?

People. Humans. Are dying. Everywhere in Africa. People who shouldn’t, who don’t need to. Children are losing their parents, parents their children and friends. Hospitals, schools and roads are in shambles.

Here’s what you can do:

Go to http://www.one.org/ or any other site that you know is credible. Check out the issues, see how you can get involved. You’d be amazed how much even 5 or 10 bucks can change a family’s entire life in Africa.

Let’s give a little back to the continent from which it all started. It’s about freakin’ time.

Politics |