Posted on 05/31/2005 2:48:48 PM PDT by MadIvan
BEING A pop singer must be boring. Nothing to do but make hideous music, count the takings and fend off screaming teenage females; no wonder some of the pop tribe try to alleviate spiritual dissatisfaction and search for profundity.
In the case of Bob Geldof, however, the search has led to a profound shallowness. On the eve of the G8 summit, Geldof intends to hold a Live 8 concert. He would like his young followers to believe that the West is to blame for all of Africa’s difficulties: if we would stop encouraging Africa to participate in global trade and content ourselves with providing enough aid, solving the continent’s plight would be as easy as wailing into a microphone.
If aid were the answer, the problem would have been solved long ago. Over the past few decades aid donors have spent hundreds of billions on Africa — to what end?
Since 1980, over the whole world, the number of those living on less than a dollar a day has halved. In sub-Saharan Africa, it has doubled. This is not because of too little aid. The explanation lies in too much corruption, theft and oppression. Africa suffers from systematic misgovernment that condemns at least 100 million people to misery, in the midst of natural resources that could make them prosperous. Africans would have no difficulty in coping with free trade, if only they were governed properly.
There is one respect in which the West could be blamed. We did give Africa independence before it was ready. The best foreign aid programme was a governor-general and a team of district commissioners. But Geldof is not, presumably, a nostalgic imperialist. So instead of demanding “trade justice” and more aid, he should be urging Africans to take their destiny in their own hands, including their sexual destiny. Live 8 will not prevent deaths from Aids; only Africans can do that.
The new Live 8 initiative is good news for Parisian couturiers, German carmakers and Swiss bankers. For Africans, it is a delusion and a deception. Geldof and his friends are using that benighted continent as a catwalk.
P. J. O’Rourke said that American actresses’ political views fall into three categories: silly, very silly and Shirley MacLaine. For pop stars, it is silly, very silly and Bob Geldof. He must be disappointed that some other group has already taken the name Simple Minds.
So when the guy down there wasn't blowing the sax, what else was he blowing?
Oh, never mind.
One O'Rourke is worth a ton of Geldofs.
Doh!
..indeed, why is Africa such a human turdpile, or have I answered my question just by asking it?
I try to keep up with stuff and I've never heard of him.
It seems he organized a touchy-feely effort twenty
years ago and has mostly just aged badly since then.
I believe you are saying he fermented over the years.
Based on the Sax player in the photo, I think he sang "Blow the Man Down", didn't he?
And with his past, he denied the Spice Girls the opportunity to participate? What a drag queen that fellow is turning out to be IMO.
Yes. He played Pink. I do not know about the shagging, though...
And the vapid fools in London's social circles will call it a great success.
The line up sounds geriatric. Seriously, Oasis covering the Who, Robbie Williams covering the Stones? Sounds bloody aweful.
"Hell no! I don't like girls anymore you twit!"
Is that a picture of Mckenzie Phillips?
The sneaky croaking amphibian, Villepin, and the no-talent smarmy rat, Geldolf, both reappear on the same day.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..............thinking to myself...........
They say bad things come in threes so I suppose I should be grateful that Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine, isn't around anymore to be the third to soil my television screen today.
I don't like Tuesdays!!!
Wot, no Spice Girls?
LOL!
Yup, geldof decided to go with the paragon of decency and intelligence, madonna.
It's worse than that. The last live aid raised 150 million , but was dwarfed by what western country governments gave.
Which of that most of the money was mis-managed and stolen by criminal leaders.
If you want to give find a quality charity and give that way. This live 8 is just entertainment .
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