All Rock, No Action

The New York Times ^ | 7/15/05 | Jean-Claud Shanda

[Fred911]

Gee, All that grandstanding and posturing by self impressed L8 rock and roll intelligentsia didn't save Africa...Hmmmmm

[mlc9852]

We just need to give them more money - that will solve everything.

[ncountylee]

But..but..it was the greatest event in the history of the world!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Live8 succeeded fabulously...

...in allowing rich kids with cell phones to see free concerts. (or to make more money by scalping their tickets.)

[fatnotlazy]

Presumably, the organizers didn't want money...they just wanted to "raise awareness" of the problems in Africa. As some guy on radio said, all that awareness should really fill the bellies of the starving in Africa ("Can I have a cup of awareness, please?")

I and others have said before: Nothing in Africa (or any other impoverished corner of this world) will ever change unless people bring themselves up and work toward that change. They also need to oust those so-called leaders and hire some that will actually bring them to the 20th Century (21st Century might be a bit too much to hope for). They also have to stop those traditional practices (e.g., having lots of mistresses, fathering litters of children, etc. etc.) that damage their economy, or worse, kill them (eg. spread AIDS).

[RexBeach]

Tell you what, I don't think I could have much confidence in a guy named Omar Bongo, the "president" of Gabon.

The author is quite correct. L8 was misguided and stupid. The knuckleheaded musicians should have rallied and performed for democratic revolution in Africa. But then, nothing good can come of of fight, can it? You know, like the United States or a democratic Japan or Germany, or an end to slavery. Nope. Nothing good.

What inveterate fools are Mr. Geldof and his friends.

[RedRover]

I bought the Times this morning (because the Post's backcover had A-Rod) and was amazed to see this Op Ed piece. I believe it nails the issue very firmly to the wall and also speaks to Lefty attitudes generally, at home and abroad.

[dfwgator]

Oingo Boingo would do a better job of running Africa than Omar Bongo.

[omniscient]

Bono, Geldof, etc., take note -- you've been punk'd!

[coconutt2000]

We can always propose to let them solve their own problems... without any extra money.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"It's a Dead Man's Party...leave your body at the door."

[kingu]

Gosh.. I don't know what to say. Not only did the Times go searching out this editorial, they even went through the effort of translating it from French in order to print it.

Someone's gonna take their liberal card away if they keep doing things like this.

As to the editorial - yup, nailed it square on the head. The only people that are helped by debt reduction are the dictators who no longer have to pay the bill (like they were paying it before.) And I'll guarantee that the countries that had their national credit card bill wiped out will start charging on a new one before the ink is dry.

Democracy for Africa... I'm sure that Live-8's organizers are ticked about that concept. They're usually more into communism.

[Kenton]

The promoters claimed they didn't want our money... just our voices. Our voices raised in support of giving more of our money to this charity case posing as a liberated continent.

Oh well, all those rich white liberals and rock stars had themselves a lovely party anyway, no harm done...

[dfwgator]

Oh well, all those rich white liberals and rock stars had themselves a lovely party anyway, no harm done...

The rock stars only showed up because their agents told them it would be good for record sales.

[fatnotlazy]

The rock stars only showed up because their agents told them it would be good for record sales.


***

And some probably genuinely thought that by performing at these concerts, they were actually doing something construtive for all those starving/sick people in Africa.

Of course, they weren't.

[RexBeach]

LOL! Thanks!

[dfwgator]

Actually, I think Danny Elfman is a conservative Republican.

[j_k_l]

Bono must be doing something right. He has the lunatic ideologues on both sides smearing him. At DU, the hate him for working with Bush. Here he is hated for trying to do something to help out an impoverished people.

I wonder how many freepers would break their legs jumping off the “bash bono bandwagon” if he came out against illegal immigration?

[JoeSixPack1]

We just need to give them more money - that will solve everything.

My niece tells me that exact same thing about herself, monthly. :-)

[Physicist]

There's nothing wrong with capitalism. There's nothing wrong with free enterprise.