CAPITALISM'S aim is to maximise profit whatever the human cost may be.
South Africa, with 3.5 million cases of people who are HIV+ has the most explosive epidemic of any country in the world, according to the AIDS Consortium, part of the AIDS Treatment Action Campaign.
There are between 1500 -2000 new infections every day - a very high percentage of those affected are young women under 35. To combat this scourge, the South African government plans to source cheaper AIDS treatment drugs, such as AZT.
South African legislation in the shape of the Medical Amendment Act allows for compulsory licensing, ie, allowing the manufacturing of generic forms of expensive AIDS drugs, despite patents being held in another company if this would be in the national interests of the country. The act also allows for the importation of drugs from cueaper sources. This has aroused the anger of the powerful drugs lobby in the United States, which is pushing for the protection of intellectual property rights. It is urging the US government to threaten trade sanctions if South Africa goes ahead with plans for cheaper drugs. Not satisfied with trying to bomb the world into compliance with American imperialist interests, the US also has no compunction in threatening human lives if profits are threatened.