The Epidemic of AIDs

Sara Martin

Composition 1

Fall 2016

Project 1

The Epidemic of AIDS

            AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is a disease transferred through blood, sexual intercourse, and breast milk. This disease destroys your immune system so your body is unable to fight off any infections or diseases you might attract. The AIDS epidemic has killed over twenty million people in the United States since it began in 1981 (David). With no history as how the disease came about and its sudden appearance in homosexuals after a government issued Hepatitis B experiment, there have been many conspiracy theories surrounding the creation of AIDS. Many say the government created it in the secret bio-warfare research lab, which is the same lab that gave the Hepatitis B experiment. Others believe the CIA created the virus to depopulate the world of homosexuals and African Americans. The government says the virus came from monkeys in Africa, yet the virus in Africa is different than the one is the United States. What is the truth? The government is hiding something, so let’s explore the conspiracy theories surrounding the mysterious virus and if the United States really did create it.

Character Analysis

            Thabo Mbeki was the South African president in 1980, when Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was discovered. The United States made it clear, at the time, that the disease began in South Africa during the time of Mbeki’s presidency. Thabo Mbeki was a hard leader and was not publicly liked. He was not known to hold or kiss babies as most presidents do (Carroll). Let’s delve into the personality of Thabo Mbeki and see why he is the way he is, and why he made the decisions he did when he was president.

Mbeki did not care if his people liked him or the way he ran the country, and this behavior was because how he was raised. Thabo Mbeki was born on June 18, 1942 in Mbewuleni, South Africa. Mbeki’s familial life is not mentioned in many articles beyond small snippets (“Thabo Mbeki Biography”). He was raised by his mother and father, Ma Mofokeng and Govan Mbeki, and had one older and younger brother (“Thabo Mbeki Biography” 1). His parents “did not love Mbeki in a conventional way and encouraged him to regard the movement as his real family” (Carroll 1). Mbeki had a son, Monwabise Kwanda, out of wedlock with a woman named Olive Mpahlwa at the young age of 16 (“Thabo Mbeki Biography” 1). Many years later, Mbeki married Zanele Dlamini (“Thabo Mbeki Biography” 1). 1981 marked a horrible year for Mbeki, for his son and youngest brother went missing after trying to leave Africa to join him in London (“Thabo Mbeki Biography” 1). Thabo Mbeki ran a smart campaign based from his parent’s insistence on treating his movement as his family (Carroll 1).

Being a smart leader began when Mbeki was a student, and he became interested in politics when he was in college and joined an organization by the name of African National Congress Youth League. As he got older he became more involved in politics and Nelson Mandela took an interest in him (“Thabo Mbeki Biography” 1). Nelson Mandela advised him to leave the country and finish his education elsewhere (Thabo Mbeki Biography” 1). Mbeki took his advice and smuggled himself out of the country and moved to London where he finished his education with his master’s degree in economics from the University of Sussex (Carroll 1). Those who knew him in London have said:

 “The young charmer who loved Monty Python and Not the Nine O'Clock News, whose camaraderie and intellect convinced western governments to impose sanctions, and white Afrikaner leaders to accept the unsustainability of apartheid, vanished. He kept the pipe, and the penchant for Scotch, but became aloof and tetchy upon entering government.” (Carroll 1).           

And, after he graduated he began working with Yusuf Dadoo, Communist Party Leader. From college to adulthood, Mbeki was in politics. Mandela helped him become a smart and technical leader, and it showed when he was president (Carroll 1).

Mbeki ran a campaign for presidency as the technocrat- a person who makes decisions based on their knowledge and what they believed to be correct- and literary smart candidate. Mbeki helped bring a lot of his country out of poverty and greatly increased the economy (Carroll 1). He was a brilliant president in almost all ways until the AIDS epidemic hit South Africa. When Mbeki was president, nearly 5.3 million South Africans had the virus and around 600 people died daily (Carroll, Rory). Mbeki “came under the influence of a group of maverick scientists known as Aids denialists, most prominent among whom was Peter Duesberg from Berkeley, California” (Boseley). After a debate with the AIDS denialists along with their opponents, Mbeki determined AIDS was not caused by a virus but by poor immune systems (Bosley 1). He would not allow any medications or treatments to his people who were affected by the virus and rejected any and all grants from other governments (Bosley 1). Researchers “estimate that more than 330,000 people died unnecessarily in South Africa over the period and that 35,000 HIV-infected babies were born who could have been protected from the virus and would probably have a limited life.” (Carroll, Rory). Even though he was a strong president, Mbeki’s people disliked his very much for how he dealt with the AIDs crisis.

Many conspiracy theorists believe Mbeki took his vow of silence because he believed the United States government engineered the virus in hopes of killing off both Africans in the United States and in South Africa. Mbeki denied any help from the United States because of this theory and so his country suffered. World-renowned Keyan ecologist, Dr. Wangari Maathai, gave credence to Mbeki’s conspiracy theory (Philip et all). She stated “that the deadly virus was created as a biological weapon by the west to wipe out Africans” (Philip et all). The United States denies it repeatedly and stands behind the virus starting in South Africa.

Thabo Mbeki was a strong handed president. He was not favored by many because of how he managed the AIDs crises, but he ruled his country in a brilliant way.

Conspiracy Theories

Acquired Immune Deficiency Disorder, or AIDs, is a disease that attacks your immune system so you have no defense against other diseases. Many conspiracy theories involved the government, such as them creating the AIDs virus in a biowarfare research lab to use as a weapon (“Conspiracy Theories”).  As well as, the government deliberately injecting homosexuals with the virus during the Hep B trials in 1978 (“Conspiracy Theories”1). Others say the CIA created it to kill off the Africans and homosexuals in the United States (“Conspiracy Theories”1). Let’s explore these theories and see if there is any truth to them.

First, we will explore the conspiracy theory of the government creating the disease in a biowarfare research lab to use as a weapon (“Conspiracy Theories”1). This theory has many truths in it, but the overall theory is false. President Nixon transferred parts of Fort Detrick over to the Cancer institute to help research a cure for cancer (David). The truth in the theory is that the government did have biowarfare scientists in New York. The scientists did experiments involving virus transference and molecular manipulation (David 1). That means they were taking cancer cells and transferring viruses to them to see the reaction of the cancerous cells. They were researching how to kill cancer cells and cure cancer. They did not create any virus, such as AIDs. The program was shut down because there were no break throughs, this happened when the AIDs epidemic started (David 1). Thus, born the conspiracy theory. This theory is based solely on the timing of the project closing and that the government was involved. From the research, there are no plausible evidence for this theory.

Next, we will look at the theory: AIDs was given to homosexual men through the Hep b experiment in 1979. This theory was concocted because the timing of the situation, as well as, the institutes role in it. Conspiracy theorists believed that the New York Blood Center transferred the virus into homosexual men by injecting them with the virus instead of a vaccine for Hep b. The theory is given credence because the New York Blood Center created this vaccine from the chimpanzee, the “ancestor” (this is not proven) of the HIV virus (David 1). These “inoculations ended in October 1979, less than two years before the official start of the epidemic” (1). These minor facts allowed the conspiracy to become a truth to people but, there is no prove that this true. The timing of the situation and minor truths do not make this theory true. Although, this is the most believable theory, it is untrue.

 Third in the theories, is that the CIA made the virus to eliminate homosexuals and Africans from the United States (“Conspiracy Theories” 1). This theory has very little credence and even less reasons for it to be believed. The Central Intelligence Agency is an agency that gathers intelligence from around the world and determines if it is a threat or not. They are based out of the United States, but they travel everywhere. The theory is that the CIA spread the virus in Africa as well as in the homosexual population. There was only one reason found on why this theory is a theory and it is because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were the first and last on the scene of AIDs. They are a government agency and work very closely with the CIA on disease cases. It is based on paranoia of the government and its agencies.

In conclusion, although the theories had credence, they also had many not truths. It is understandable why so many theories are concocted, the government does hide many things as well as cover them up. But, none of the theories could be proven true because there is no evidence to support it. The people who create these theories are paranoid of the government and what they can do. The poll I took proves that. The question that was asked was “Do you believe the government created AIDs to kill homosexuals and Africans?”. The result of the poll was fourteen people saying it is possible and six saying the government would never do that. People of all ages believe the government is hiding something and when confronted with a conspiracy theory, they can see some truth in it. The government could have created the virus when making the vaccine for Hep b and given it to homosexuals, that is why it is the most plausible theory.

Works Cited

Boseley, Sarah. "Mbeki Aids Denial 'caused 300,000 Deaths'" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

Carroll, Rory. "The Guardian Profile: Thabo Mbeki." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 08 Apr. 2004. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

"Conspiracy Theories." Time. Time Inc., 20 Nov. 2008. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

David, Jones. "The Secret Origins of AIDS: Facts, Fallacies & Conspiracy Theories." New Dawn The Worlds Most Unusual Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

Philip, Takunda Chingombe and Dumpster and, Skalo and King Asante-Yeboa and Mduduzi and Airx Dontsa and Ike and Kennet Diaka and James and Markeith Johnson and Luu and Robert and Velly- South Africa and Favour Of God and Jim and Harare Mole and Jeff Osmond and Kore and Smartcalo and CDELA and David Lony and Sipho and Marcia Prescot and Decent Humans and Piankhi . "How America Created 'HIV/AIDS' to Kill Black People – Thabo Mbeki." How Africa News. N.p., 08 Dec. 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

“Thabo Mbeki” Bio.com A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016