Posted on 11/20/2004 7:36:12 AM PST by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
NEW YORK (AFP) - Band Aid is making its appeal for Africa in 2004 more as a political demand than the first time it touched the world's conscious in 1985 to raise money, creator Bob Geldof said.
Geldof said the people who supported Band Aid 20 years ago when it released the disc "Do They Know It's Christmas?" are now in power.
"The promises of 1985 should be fulfilled politically, finally," the former punk singer told a press conference in New York where he is attending meetings for a Commission for Africa, a body set up by Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites).
Geldof was the inspiration behind Band Aid in 1985 and he assembled a new galaxy of rock stars -- including Paul McCartney, U2 singer Bono and members of Coldplay and Radiohead -- to record a new version of the Christmas song last weekend.
The singer said he hoped the new Band Aid 20 "will resonate" in political circles.
"More than raising money, you make a political demand this time, because these people in power know what's going on.
"Twenty years ago we raised an issue, now we're raising it again, and I hope we can finally deliver."
Geldof said that Africa's troubles were "an issue that transcends politics and becomes morality, whether you're on the right or on the left." He added: "As years go on, Africa declines even further."
A video of the new Band Aid, presented by Madonna (news - web sites), came out Thursday. The audio disc -- which also features singers Robbie Williams and Dido -- is to be released on November 29.
Geldof said he was not convinced that a new giant Live Aid concert for Africa -- another of the features of the 1980s initiative -- would work again. The concerts were held at Wembley and in the United States and shown around the world.
The former Boomtown Rats star is one of 17 members, who include nine Africans, of the Commission for Africa created in February 2004 by Blair. The body is to present a report next year to be presented to the Group of Eight industrialised powers' summit in Britain.
And what responsibility do Africans play in fixing their own problems? It's the same lefty imperialist attitude, without the colonization.
You mean, yet another Hollywood-sponsored program is to become an anti-American anti-Bush bashing fest? Pretty soon there won't be any entertainers left who haven't offended me by spouting off their hate-filled political views.
No, it will be laughed at the way we laughed at it 20 years ago.
"Do they know it's Christmas?"
We were teens, and we laughed our asses off at them.
Wonder how many African Muslims are going to go postal about this.
LOL I recall a Sam Kinison bit wherein Sam is mocking Geldof (and pretentious rock stars in general) "Do They Know it's Christmas?...Guess what Bobby?..IF IT'S NOT MADE OF FOOD THEY DON"T GIVE A F***!!! OHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
NO! Famine in the modern world is solely a political tool of oppression. With the amount of aid that is available no one should ever starve. There are many good ways that charity for Africa can work, but the single best thing is to remove the tyrants.
If you have cable or satellite and get the Discovery Times channel try and see "Children of the Secret State", it is by far the most sick and deranged thing I have ever seen. But it should be required watching for every American. Things in N. Korea are worse than most people realize.
I remember that bit - 'Why do they have to starve? They live in an F-ing desert! Pack them up and move them out and they won't starve!! OOOOHHH! OOOOHHH !!
"How about moving to where THE FU***** FOOD IS!!!! OHHHHHHOHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sam lives
I've seen it and think it's the most disgusting thing i've seen in a long time. You can understand why they have such a huge army for such a little country the Army gets fed so the peasants join up to eat.
If the MSM was worth anything that show would be on prime time. They used to run specials on how evil struggling democracies in the third world were, but they never show such things about Cuba, China, or N. Korea.
"Don't send them food! Send them U-Haul trailers!!! You see all that stuff!?!?!?! That's sand!!! You're in the F*@&*NG DESERT!!!! You can't grow food in the desert!!!!!"
Mark
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.