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Published Letters: 4
Editor's Choice: 1
Thank you for bringing light to such an important issue. I am disgusted at the callous ignorance of so many Salon readers. I suggest that these readers conduct a thorough review of the historic and contemporary uses of Africa and the "third world" by the West. I expected Salon readers to to understand that poverty and exploitation do not exist in vacuums and am disappointed at the sheer ignorance displayed in these letters.
I am certain that we owe Africa and the rest of the "third world" much more than simple humanitarian aid.
I would also like to encourage all readers to sponsor a child in the "third world". For about $300 a year, you can send a little one to school as well as ensure that he or she has clean water, food and vaccinations. We sponsor a little girl through Childreach/Plan (www.planusa.org) because they respect children's religions and traditions. While this certainly isn't the only sollution to global poverty, it does improve lives and is a move in the right direction.
Sacha Baron Cohen was left off your list.
Consent is largely influenced by social and economic factors. Many people in developing countries consent to clinical trials because doing so is the only possible way to access necessary drugs kept at out of reach prices by big pharma. The same thing happens in the US, where health is also a commodity. Desperate people consent to all sorts of things that aren't ethical.
Pinochet and his fellow dictators received training and support from the US for maintaining capitalist interests. Sound familiar?
Let's not overlook this fact.
