In this case I'd guess the DOGE cuts to foreign aid are a massive, massive contributor to the problem. A lot of third-world countries heavily relied on USAID et al to keep basic sanitation and healthcare going.

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rob_c 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

how about countries with these risks take action to reduce these risks. I'm sure there's a parable about teaching someone to fish rather than feeding them

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JumpCrisscross 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> sure there's a parable about teaching someone to fish rather than feeding them

This is less about feeding a neighbor than digging them a latrine so they stop crapping in your water supply.

	▲	drstewart an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Wow, why hasn't world leader China and progressive Europe stepped up to make up the difference? Don't they care about their own safety? They should be tripling funding to the WHO. This lies directly at their feet.

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toast0 an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

USAID provided funding for a lot of stuff, but specifically with regards to infectious disease control, providing funding for infectious disease control in countries that don't have the resources or priorities to do it on their own addresses the risk that such diseases are not controlled and spread to the US and also the risk that such diseases spread and result in (negative) economic impact for the US.

The disease control interventions really are a mix of teaching and doing. In acute situations, experts are brought in to do (some of) the things. But mostly it's training and outreach and supplying equipment to do routine disease control and surveillance of issues that need help.

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disantlor 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

theres also one about pennywise, pound foolish

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throw1234567891 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If them not fishing means your people are at risk, you go and teach them to fish.

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mschuster91 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> how about countries with these risks take action to reduce these risks

With what money? There's a reason they're dependent on USAID.

> I'm sure there's a parable about teaching someone to fish rather than feeding them

Unfortunately the priorities of USAID (and European foreign aid as well) aren't exactly aligned with that paradigm. It's the worst expressed in agriculture because we just dumped our excess production on Africa to keep our prices stable, but foreign aid being sustainable is a relatively new and not really widespread requirement.

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malfist 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

How callously you blame the victims. Remember your humanity.

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lejalv 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

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mystraline 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Let me make this clear:

To hell with your historical collective guilt machine.

I honestly dont care what people did before I was born. I had absolutely no decision in anything of theirs. Had no choice in any of that. Nor did I enslave or torture or murder people. My parents didnt either. Their parents didnt either.

And somehow, Im responsible for shit that happened hundreds of years ago? Whatever.

I dont mind helping and working collectively for a human cause. But im also not going to be an emotional collective guilt tampon because people before I was born did bad things.

Id say "Take it up with them", but theyre dead. Thats why you flail at anybody and try to make them feel responsible.

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beej71 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Not feeling guilty and not caring are two radically different things in this context.

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mystraline an hour ago | parent [-]

First, there are no charges against me.

I will not answer to idiocy like "your bloodline X generations back".

I am not feeling guilty simply because I am not guilty.

And I do not feel guilty about historical happenings I did not have a hand in. They are things to read about to understand how we got here. But caring? No. More like dispassionate historical context.

I fight against shit like "Collective Historical Guilt". Liberals here in the USA use this crap, like in worthless land akcnowldgements but do absolutely nothing.

Ive also seen a lot of republican and MAGA types also have their 'white' ethnicity weaponized. Its obvious when 1 side blames you on a demographic you cant change (skin color). You vote against them.

I will never support collective guilt/punishment. And I will not 'care' about some historical wrongs.

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lejalv an hour ago | parent [-]

Let's say you likely benefit from the side effects. It's not guilt, but just a lil reminder we are all in this together.

Also, we could talk about current colonialism: arms trade, mining, mercenary armies.

Sure enough, if you close your eyes hard enough you can pretend your wealth is well earned and unrelated the ills of the world.

It's rarely the case.

	▲	mystraline an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Thats thats the root of this shit. Im forced to engage in this system of capitalism. I am not a capitalist. My political power is 1 vote, aka basically nothing. Because Im forced to engage, Im somehow responsible for the horrors others do. I absolutely reject this absurd line of thought. Do I try to limit damage on voluntary things I do? Absolutely. Do I also try to help where help is wanted? Yes, I do. Thats also being a good human to fellow humans. You mention: arms trade, mining, mercenary armies. Ive never traded weapons. I dont even own any guns. Mining? Im in the process of rewilding my property back to more forest. Im also getting rid of invasives previous owners planted (english ivy, etm). And thanfulky, Im not a mercernary army. Ffs, really? I have absolutely 0 sway on any of these topics. And I wont ever. Im not a politician, whose votes really do count. > Sure enough, if you close your eyes hard enough you can pretend your wealth is well earned and unrelated the ills of the world. I guess youre one of those types that because I might identify as "white" thats im a millionaire or otherwise abuse people at scale to make billions. Protip: im not. Most of the jobs I worked was in food service or factory work. And all your accusatory platitudes are as deep as a porta-potty. And yeah, there is no ethical consumption in capitalism. Its all exploitation, at every scale and measure. Dont have a whole lot of choices about it. Cry harder.

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zzzeek an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

They are. This is why the billionaire tech class is complacent in this disaster. Musk is already a mass murderer due his illegal sabotage of USAID (estimates of 600000 deaths already [1]) this new outbreak adds to his death toll.

[1] https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary...