Posted on 04/01/2023 8:32:10 PM PDT by nickcarraway
U2 guitarist the Edge said bandmate Bono had been right to become a high-profile political activist, even though it sometimes caused problems for the Irish group.
In a recent interview with Mojo, Edge said the two aspects of U2’s reputation had become “so intermingled” that it would be “very hard to imagine one without the other.”
He continued: “There’s obviously been challenging moments, particularly when Bono was making great strides in America and realized his superpower was being able to work both sides of the aisle and persuade politicians from different parts of the spectrum to work together.
“But that meant he was having meetings with people like [right-wing US Senator] Jesse Helms, who famously dismantled the National Endowment for the Arts… and made some terrible early comments about the AIDS pandemic. So, that was hard. But we understood the logic. And if you judge activism based on results, rather than it being some kind of attempted virtue signalling, then Bono was absolutely right.”
As a result of Bono’s intervention with Helms, Congress voted in favor of an AIDS support package that changed many lives. “If you can persuade a politician that they’re not going to sacrifice their existing support but they will potentially add, that’s hard to turn down,” Edge said. “And Bono became very good, I think, at advocating on that basis. ‘Look, this will mean political brownie points for you.’ But often that meant him being in the photograph!”
He argued that critics often miss the fact that it took courage for Bono to do what he did. “[T]hey just think he compromised his principles. He didn’t at all. What he did compromise was his PR profile and his standing with the sort of fundamentalists who would never be open to receiving help from people they didn’t agree with. In the end, I think facts bear out his approach.”
He's Irish, but all his songs seemingly about the problems in Ireland are so vague as to be meaningless.
I don’t quite think Bono is that narcissistic. Sting is way more so.
That joke is supposed to be about doctors.
Um, no.
Shut up and sing.
They were a good original band then they went ultra gay and decided to become a Broadway act starting with the Joshua Tree. Before that, nothing could beat them, playing “New Years day” at Red Rocks and in a rain storm, just incredibly intense band at that time.
Here it is........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDr9B5sQi0g&ab_channel=ZeDesXiAAIliVe
Imagine that - a rock and roll musician hectoring us about progressive political causes.
Its all so absurdly stereo-typical.
Wasn’t it only recently that Bono figured out that communism doesn’t work?
I’ve never heard him mention communism. I don’t think he would ever actually weight in on something.
The conversation found Bono, whose politics lean to the Left, admitting a hard truth for Times readers to hear. Socialism isn’t the global panacea we need. Capitalism, warts and all, is the better option.
high-profile political activist, you mean the kind which moved his U2 Limited company out of Ireland to save taxes which could of helped those less fortunate and then browbeat politicians into championIng your causes, so that you could take credit for the action which will help you sell more records. That kind of political activist?
He's Irish, but all his songs seemingly about the problems in Ireland are so vague as to be meaningless.
100% right. Even in Sunday Bloody Sunday, he doesn't take a position, just wants it to end.
In the 1980s I worked with some people in London who were musicians. They had spent time with Bono. What they said about him confirms the comment in post #2.
Fun Fact: I actually know FIVE of the most infamous Rock and Roll groupies in real life. One night I was in facebook caht with all 5 and asked them “Who was the best rock star and the worst....”
They told me who the BEST rockstar in the sack was. It was hands down unanimous. If your curious , hit me up, Ill tell you.
The WORST was handsdown BONO. They swore he actually shipped full size mirrors he surrounds the bed with to look at himself. Hes egotistical, vain and its to the point no groupies sleep with him and even escorts refuse to.
Groupies will even disuade girls they pull from the audience to not do it. Hes an all around dick and not in a good way.
Okay Ill tell you who the hands down BEST rock star in the sack was....Huey Lewis. The ladies LOVED him, he was funny and hes appearantley well hung and knows how to use it.
There also exists a video of Bono in Africa I think. Hes “helping the children” and the newscrew after they are done interviewing his narcissitic ass , the villagers all let loose what an asshole he is. I wish I could find that one again.
... and a congressman ...
Once they've achieved success and they turn their attention to saving the world, you're only going to get occasional hits.
A successful guy in his mid-20s being cocky? Yeah, that's pretty unusual. /s
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