On World AIDS Day, why the politics of AIDS is so important.

A large AIDS ribbon hangs from the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Nov. 30, 2007, in honor of World AIDS Day, which is officially marked around the world Dec. 1. (Ron Edmonds/AP)

Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, a day intended to increase awareness about a disease that has led to the deaths of more than 35 million people since 1981, when the first cases appeared among gay men in the United States.

From the outset…