Six days
I predicted this, but I'm amazed at the speed and audacity with which the United Nations discarded the words adult and voluntary.
"These (African) countries should now prepare how to introduce circumcision on a large scale," UNAIDS chief Dr. Peter Piot told Reuters. "The science is clear."
Baby boys should be targeted first but then attention should switch to adolescent boys and adult men, said Piot, who is in New Delhi to meet Indian officials on how they plan to tackle the world's largest HIV/AIDS caseload.
The HIV crisis is raging in Africa among sexually-active adults, and UNAIDS wants to focus initial resources on circumcising baby boys. Baby boys can't fight back, and if you circumcise them young, they're much more likely to grow up and circumcise their own children. It's indoctrination to perpetuate an otherwise unthinkable practice. That's how it occurred in the United States in the early 20th century. It's how it will occur in Africa in the 21st century.
The United Nations is a despicable organization in the circumcision debate. It lacks any legitimate notion of human rights or gender equality. Baby boys are human beings with inherent rights, not tools for ideological social experimentation.
Comments
I like your writing, Tony,
"Baby boys are human beings with inherent rights, not tools for ideological social experimentation."
That's it exactly.
If this mad doctor is in India, he'll probably get the Indians circumcising, too. Then the Chinese, knowing their Indian neighbours to be no fools, may introduce the practice.
Of course, all this would take place against a very lively commercial background, with all the insurance companies and medical corporations gleefully raking in government contracts.
My God, they're positioning themselves to be able to deal on some sympathetic, basic human level with the next World leader, China. I wondered how they were going to do that. Smart. "I'm circumcised, your circumcised. Let's do business, after all, we both know how a rough, dry penis tip doesn't feel at all.".
Posted by: chris.t | December 21, 2006 08:51 AM
Thanks for the compliment.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised at the UN's plan. They are extremely pro-male infant circumcision. I'm just amazed at the brazen nature of their attempt to spread it around the world. And I've seen almost no one call them on this. Even if people don't care that this study will be implemented on baby boys, shouldn't they care about solving the HIV crisis they're rambling about? Even the most ardent pro-circumcision fan must acknowledge that adult men should be first. Hell, even that will end up migrating to boys with the old standby, "if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my boy."
Posted by: Tony | December 21, 2006 09:41 AM
Hi, Tony, have you seen this site:
www.circumstitions.com/TVSitcoms.html
Very nice analysis of the prevalent underlying attitudes toward this ritual as disseminated through American media.
Posted by: chris.t | December 22, 2006 12:39 AM
Yeah, I like that. And with TV shows on DVD, I can see the ones I've missed. I collect what I can, so that I have the reference resources. Although the usual opinion on television is not good.
By far my favorite is Penn & Teller's Bullshit.
Posted by: Tony | December 22, 2006 08:18 AM