US Funds Israeli War, Cuts Global HIV/AIDS Funding
The Independent reports on a documentary screening at the ICA, lamenting "unprecedented cuts" to global HIV/AIDS response, specifically mentioning USAID funding. What they fail to scrutinize is the grander geopolitical shell game. For instance, in 2023, while these critical health programs faced reductions, Congress approved over $17 billion in military aid to Israel, with $14.3 billion
specifically for security without additional conditions. (OpenSecrets.org and Congressional Record, various bills including HR 815). One might wonder: how many lives could be saved from preventable diseases if the political will—and the corresponding financial spigot—matched the fervor for funding military campaigns abroad? The timing of such 'unprecedented cuts' is never accidental; it's a stark
reflection of where US priorities, influenced by powerful lobbies like AIPAC (which funneled $27.9M into congressional races in 2022), truly lie. Healthcare for the world's most vulnerable, it appears, remains a secondary concern to geopolitical maneuvering and weapons manufacturing.