Scourge of Man Bannished. Thank Jimmy Carter
Last Post 01/27/2022 10:25 PM by Cosmic Kid. 6 Replies.
Author Messages
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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01/27/2022 10:23 AM
That's Man as in mankind. The scourge doesn't honor sex. The Guinea worm; a parasite that has been a horrible fact of life in tropical Africa and Asia for thousands of years. Jimmy Carter got to see it first hand (and by accident) around 35 years ago and vowed to himself to put his resources to work to end it. He learned in his early research that perhaps 3.5 million people suffered the parasite every year. Last year - 14 cases in 4 countries.
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The story - Jimmy Carter was a a function in Africa; probably as rep for the Carter Foundation. Up on an outdoor stage with many dignitaries. At the moment, the focus wasn't on him so he did what he does. That man is and always was an observer of people. He scanned the crowd. Saw a woman at the very back cradling a baby in her arms. Decided to go talk to her. Makes his way through the crowd and discovers she's not holding baby but supporting a gigantic breast with the head of a very large worm poking out. (Like several feet long.)

It took very little effort for Carter to learn this worm was very well known, commonplace and horrible. It rarely killed the host (as long as it is allowed to eat its way out undisturbed), but used that person as its home to grow to up to 4 feet. Upon becoming a full adult worm, it would eat its way out over a period of days (what Carter saw), make its way to stagnant water and lay its eggs. Eggs become larvae swimming in the water, entering mammals as the water was drank. Larvae evolve to little worms, grow and repeat.

Learning this, Carter did what Carter does. Took action. Used his influence as a highly respected ex-pres to get a pharmaceutical to donate a vaccine that could protect from the larvae and far more important, got a company that made drilling equipment to supply well diggers that his foundation workers could take to third world villages. The foundation then went village to village. The men drilled wells so there was clean, larvae-free water to drink. The women taught the village women the importance of clean water; either from a clean source or treated or boiled but that one of those three HAD to happen. (Didn't bother teaching the men - waste of precious time and energy, plus men are going to do what men do regardless.) The vaccine - they didn't have nearly enough but it went to the women both to protect them and get them on board with the rest of the program.

The Foundation has been quietly doing this the whole time. (Not completely quietly - they have enlisted many others to provide help. But for the rest of the world, helping for a year or two is considered plenty.) I saw in a Carter announcement several years ago they were down to a few thousand cases world-wide. Figured with the pandemic, there would be a big setback. No, they've just about got this worm beat!

The credit will be taken by other, much more important agencies. But it was Carter who started this and Carter and his Foundation that never quit (and roped in those who are going to take the credit).
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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01/27/2022 02:22 PM
The world needs more people like Jimmy Carter.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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01/27/2022 02:43 PM
Absolutely agreed, the world needs more people like Jimmy.

Sounds like the foundation is getting its credit. Also reads like it is not just the scourge of man but it affects animals too, with domestic animal cases also having declined significantly, presumably because of better water.

Sidebar- Al Jazeera reporting is some of the best there is at moment. A rare outlet with proper journalism. Additional benefit, the worms' length is quoted in SI units. Warning, with photographic evidence.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/26/guinea-worm-cases-drop-to-14-close-to-jimmy-carters-goal-of-0
Dale

Posts:1767

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01/27/2022 04:21 PM
The best former president ever. Bar none.

Huge respect to the man my 25-year old self was too dumb to vote for.
Wish I could have a do-over.
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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01/27/2022 07:26 PM

Posted By Dale Dale on 01/27/2022 04:21 PM
The best former president ever. Bar none.

Huge respect to the man my 25-year old self was too dumb to vote for.
Wish I could have a do-over.

+1 I went to hear him speak 5 (or so) years ago at Portland's huge bookstore. (Powell's) Turned out he wasn't going to speak but just sign books. (He was pushing his book on violence against women.) I was disappointed but what the hey, bought the book and got in line. (About #600 out of a thousand.) Hours later, I stepped into a room the size of a smallish living room, bare except a table piled with his book and a little old man signing the one of the fellow in front of me. Signed mine without looking up. I had the strong feeling I was looking at an incredibly humble man

Then I read the book. This humble man used to be the most powerful man on earth, knew it and used that fact to convince others to step up to do incredible things. Get people who hated each other to sit down and deal. Jimmy Carter didn't start Habitat for Humanity but was on board very early on, rolled up his sleeves, did the work and used his name to further its (in my opinion anyway) noble goals. Years later I saw a piece he wrote on presenting one of these fresh built houses to its new owner. Said that he felt very strongly that he was doing God's work (in his case Jesus') but that it was very important that none of his beliefs showed in the slightest so there would be no chance of turning this new owner off. Before going to the ceremony he would spend real time praying, holding the icon he always had on him but made sure none of this came across and that icon, so important to him, was never seem. Wow. A Christian Jesus would recognize.

The book: A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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01/27/2022 09:14 PM

Posted By Dale Dale on 01/27/2022 04:21 PM
The best former president ever. Bar none.

Huge respect to the man my 25-year old self was too dumb to vote for.
Wish I could have a do-over.


He was the right guy at the wrong time. Recently came across this collection of economic charts with the image of the other guy superimposed. Some wild breaks in slopes of various economic performance measures happened right there and then.

https://twitter.com/wardqnormal/status/1206280031552454656?lang=en
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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01/27/2022 10:25 PM
Carter is indeed a man of great humility….

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/jimmy-carter-lives-in-an-inexpensive-house.html
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!


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