March 31, 2008

New York Times Editorial on Black AIDS Conspiracy Theories

In a New York Times editorial published on March 30 (nytimes.com, 3/30), Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof addressed recent comments made by Barack Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah White, that argued that AIDS was created by the United States government to eradicate blacks.

In the editorial, Kristof writes that 30 percent of African Americans believe that the long-standing theory is plausible.

Kristof says, however, that “conspiracy theories and irrationality aren’t a black problem: they are an American problem.” He suggests that American conspiracy theories are prevalent across all racial and economic groups, citing a 2006 study that found that 36 percent of Americans believe that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were engineered by the U.S. government to justify an invasion of Iraq.

To read a December 2007 POZ column on black AIDS conspiracy theories by HIV-positive black contributor Jesse Cameron Alick, click here.

To read a December 2000 column on the topic by late POZ editor and columnist LeRoy Whitfield, also black and HIV positive, click here.

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Previous Comments:

robin, wilton manors, fl, 2008-04-03 13:09:21
This is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. AIDS WAS created, for sure. That is what our congress asked fo0r in 1969. It was tested earlier in Africa, refined and tested again on gay men in the late 70's. Did they (Essex and Francis) know what they were doing? Probably. Their subjects were people least likely to raise a stink. This IS NOT a conspiracy. Fact are facts. The Federal Registry does not lie.

AJ, Ottawa, ON , Canada, 2008-04-02 13:39:42
HIV does not discriminate. This retrovirus has the capability to infect and kill every human on this planet. As for it's origins, conspiracy theories abound as always. What is known is that a similar retrovirus exisits in the blood of wild apes so it likely that the virus originated from Africa or nearby countries and has been in existence for hundreds of years. Recorded history has shown that plagues befall Humankind every now and then and HIV is just our modern day plague.

tiago, , 2008-04-01 19:52:22
Reverend White is right about many things. Kristof is wrong. The attacks on September 11 may not have been orchestrated by any one in the U.S. government but they were not stopped when they easily could have been. Than the Israelis and the pro-Israel Lobby and the NeoConmen for doing nothing and getting their cherished occupation of Iraq that eerily mirrors Israels Occupation of Palestine. As for the AIDS theory - nothing would surprise me. It is definitely a disease created by some human beings

Bri, Rehoboth Beach, 2008-04-01 19:50:03
Pure Poppycock!

Greg H., Modesto, CA, 2008-04-01 13:24:44
Although I completely disagree with Rev White, it is very easy to understand why he believes what he does when you consider what the Europeans did to the native people small pox, blacks with the Tuskegee experiment. There is also Reagan’s inaction because HIV seemed to be killing all of the "right" people. I tend to believe that HIV has been around for the millennia in a benign form, then mutated into a dangerous infection. HIV isn’t a very efficient way of eliminating people.

Tom T., Seattle, 2008-04-01 12:52:15
Conspiracy theories have currency with Americans because many of us know firsthand that our very own federal government has been involved in stealth experimentation and harassment on its own citizens. Google the terms "MKULTRA" and "Cointelpro" and you will learn the vast potential for evil from our very own government. So it's not strange at all that some folks would consider even AIDS to be one more example of this covert behavior.

Dave, , 2008-04-01 08:02:31
doesnt surprise me.i knew HIV was a man made disease. But whos really targeted im not sure. Is it the colored? Gays? The poor? I think the disease was created to wipe some or all of the above. People for centuries have had gay sex and nothing ever happened.and for centuries people can in contact with animals. So why all of a sudden during medical history did AIDS pop up? Because someone long ago created it. If one created it, he must be dead by now and same with the cure until we discover it