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Tax Dollars for Vietnam

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Anonymous

Guest
Maybe I'm just an old heart hearted fuddy duddy- but I can't see us sending money to support a government and people that ran us out of their country- and killed many of our boys including some good friends in doing so...They wanted the Communist rule- let the communists take care of them...

As far as supporting bird flu research- I'm all for it...But don't we have scientists and labs in the US where the research can be done, with the money going back into the US economy rather than to help prop up a Communist country...

How many $Trillion or $Bazillion does our national debt have to reach before GW and the boys on the hill quit throwing money around like it was soiled toilet paper?

Right now- the national debt is 8.6 Trillion- which means every man, woman, child of any age, owes $28,690....


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Today 11/20/2006 7:30:00 AM


Bush Visits Bird Flu Lab In Vietnam To Pledge US Support

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (AP)--U.S. President George W. Bush toured a bird flu lab Monday to encourage Vietnam in its successful battle against the disease, pledge U.S. support and urge south-east Asia to be prepared to handle further outbreaks if they occur.

Bush arrived at the Pasteur Institute - one of Vietnam's top research institutes for communicable diseases - in southern Ho Chi Minh City to an enthusiastic reception from crowds gathered on the streets. People cheered and waved to him as his motorcade arrived. Vietnamese flags festooned shops and lampposts.

It is Bush's first trip to the communist country, which hosted leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum over the weekend in Hanoi, in the north. At the institute, Bush vowed to continue supporting Vietnam's fight against bird flu and HIV/AIDS.

"The visit was very short, but it was a very significant one because the U.S. government, Vietnamese government, and governments worldwide are very interested in HIV/AIDS and avian influenza control," said institute director Nguyen Thi Kim Tien. Vietnam has been deemed a bright spot in the fight against bird flu as the virulent H5N1 virus continues to plague the region.

Some 153 people have died of the disease since it began ravaging Asian poultry in late 2003., 42 in Vietnam and 56 in Indonesia, Bush's next stop on his Asia tour.

Vietnam hasn't detected any poultry outbreaks this year and no human infections since November 2005. The success is largely credited to a nationwide poultry vaccination campaign and strong political will to root out the virus.

The country has about 100,000 people vaccinating birds against the disease, and about 45 million birds have been culled since late 2003. During his Asian trip, Bush has praised the cooperation among south-east Asian nations and the U.S. on fighting the disease, but has emphasized that the region needs to be prepared to plan and deal with further outbreaks if they occur.

So far, the disease remains hard for people to catch, and most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds, but experts fear it will mutate into a form that is easily spread among people.

On Sunday, Pacific Rim leaders endorsed an APEC action plan on the prevention of a bird flu pandemic and steps on how to respond in the event of an outbreak, according to a final statement.

They also resolved to expand efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and to achieve the U.N. goal of universal access to prevention and treatment programs by 2010. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also applauded efforts of APEC partners on implementing measures to prepare for and mitigate an influenza pandemic.

"This is a serious threat, and we all must remember how important it is for members to report outbreaks and share biological samples, in a timely and transparent manner," she said.

While touring the lab, Bush also was to learn about Vietnam's fight against AIDS. Vietnam has stepped up prevention efforts and worked to raise awareness since Bush selected it as one of the 15 countries to receive U.S. emergency HIV/AIDS funding in June 2004.

The U.S. government has contributed nearly US$80 million (euro62 million) since then to fight the disease in Vietnam. About 5,500 people, or 15% of those in need of anti-retroviral drugs in Vietnam, are now receiving them, compared with less than 5% two years ago, according to Nancy Fee, UNAIDS country coordinator.

Experts say Vietnam is at a critical point as the number of HIV infections reaches an estimated 260,000 people. So far, most cases have been among vulnerable groups such as sex workers and injecting drug users, but the disease could soon become more generalized.

The Pasteur Institute and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi are the country's top two research institutes for communicable diseases.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
Well...we can't say that Bush didn't go to Vietnam...took him over 30 yrs but he made it. :? :? :lol:

2nd....what ya want to bet that in another 30+ yrs this same article could be written again but subsitute Iraq for Vietnam?????.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
6 Years Ago:
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September 27, 2000
Web posted at: 4:51 p.m. EDT (2051 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Clinton announced Wednesday that the federal budget surplus for fiscal year 2000 amounted to at least $230 billion, making it the largest in U.S. history and topping last year's record surplus of $122.7 billion.

"Eight years ago, our future was at risk," Clinton said Wednesday morning. "Economic growth was low, unemployment was high, interest rates were high, the federal debt had quadrupled in the previous 12 years. When Vice President Gore and I took office, the budget deficit was $290 billion, and it was projected this year the budget deficit would be $455 billion."

Instead, the president explained, the $5.7 trillion national debt has been reduced by $360 billion in the last three years -- $223 billion this year alone.



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6 months ago- and now the debt has grown to $8.6 Trillion today...


Morning Edition, March 16, 2006 · Faced with a potential government shutdown, the Senate votes to raise the nation's debt limit for the fourth time in five years. The bill passed by a 52-48 vote, increasing the ceiling to $9 trillion. The bill now goes to the president.

The debt now stands at more than $8.2 trillion.

Like many cash-strapped Americans who have maxed-out credit cards, the federal government has hit its limit for borrowing funds to keep operating. If the limit isn't raised, the government likely will run out of borrowing authority within days, risking a shutdown.
 
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