[MadIvan]

Well said, Mr. Anderson!

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[DuncanWaring]

I seem to recall twenty or so years ago someone (Thomas Sowell? Walter Williams?) observing that Western aid to Africa at that point in time was already in excess of the total value of all American farmland plus the total value of all shares of stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

[Rodney King]

BEING A pop singer must be boring.

When was the last time that Geldof even sang anything?

[AndrewB]

Not to mention that he dissed the Spice Girls.

[Moral Hazard]

The most pathetic thing about this is the world now knows very well what is needed to achieve economic prosperity: The rule of law, property rights, a free market, and universal basic education. This approach has been used effectively in much of Southern and Eastern Asia, and is doing great things in Eastern Europe right now.

If the countries of Africa tried it, they would find it quite effective there as well. It is, however, generally incompatible with Stalinist dictatorships or kleptocracies, so I don't expect it will become very popular there any time soon

[A CA Guy]

Bob Geldof at this point is being a self aggrandizing little turd.

I can't even think of a song or band this guy ever played on or with.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

For pop stars, it is silly, very silly and Bob Geldof.

When, by the way, did Bob Geldof make his last recording? Was he even a star before Live Aid? I think not. He is, rather, a professional finger-wagger.

I'm all for helping people, but Geldof has not and will not help anybody with these obnoxious displays of alleged compassion. I'd be shocked if Geldof owned a Bible, but he would do well to read in Matthew,

"...when thou doest thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do..."

A trumpet, of course, is quiet compared to the mega-wattage that these sanctimonious clowns will have onstage at Live 8.

[Cecily]

Dear Sir Bob:

I promise to send you $10.00 if you will go to Zimbabwe and personally shoot Robert Mugabe in the head. Otherwise, I think I will take that $10.00 bill and just throw it out the window, or maybe set it on fire.

Sincerely,
C

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Who'd win in a fight - Bob or Bono?

Was Phil Linnot ever like this?

[JerseyHighlander]

Good to see you're still on FR.

Seriously, money flows from the British, American, French and German public/ticket buyers, and sponsor companies, to Geldof's production company, which takes a cut, to a basket of NGO's, who take a bigger cut, to locales in Africa, where local and national politicians and strongmen take a very big cut and take control of all aid, and then those in who's name the donations were given, will bend to the will of the strongmen, out of necessity to feed their children, and receive a bowl of maize.

And this, Geldof and Bono call a noble endeavour.

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.

[Hessian]

Wot, no Spice Girls?