Posted on 05/23/2002 10:55:30 PM PDT by goody2shooz
WATCH YOUR POCKETBOOKS! BONO WANTS TO PLAY ROBIN HOOD!!
Rock star Bono made a grab for America's purse strings as a four-nation aid and debt factfinding tour with US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill reached South Africa.
"He is the man in charge of America's wallet," Bono said of Mr O'Neill. "And it's true, I want to open that wallet."
The comment came as the dynamic do-good duo arrived in Pretoria for talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki.
"All three of us have a passion for seeing the world's living standard increase quickly for people who have been poor too long," Mr.O'Neill said.
In a break from protocol, Bono, lead singer with U2, also attended a meeting with Trevor Manuel, South Africa's finance minister, ostensibly called sign a joint US/South African money laundering agreement.
Bono, who has long fought for the abolition of Third World debt, was welcomed by Mr Manuel as "an old friend".
Cheers to boos
The meetings followed a visit to Ghana, where Mr. O'Neill and Bono toured villages, markets and a hospital.
"People should not be expected to live without clean water," Mr O'Neill said after his hospital visit.
"We should do something about it and do something about it now."
Mr O'Neill has been a vocal critic of anti-poverty programmes, saying they have wasted huge amounts of cash by failing to stimulate economic development.
But Bono warned that anger against the US could grow if it failed to act against poverty.
"We are driving down the streets and people are waving, people are jumping up and down, they are glad to see the United States," Bono said.
"If this country doesn't get help, doesn't get the sense of a new beginning... you come back in five years and they'll be throwing rocks at the bus."
The US recently committed to boost aid by $10bn in 2004-06.
WE will do better than BONO can DREAM. We'll go him one better. We will give away EVERYTHING we really HAVE---everything that MADE us what we are, and we will give it away free of charge. Let's see---freedom, capitalism, faith in God, moral values, a society and government firmly rooted in the faith of our fathers and in the Ten Commandments handed down by God to Moses...If Bono would go back and read the works of, say Adam Smith, comes to mind....certainly the works of Jefferson and Washington...and Ronald Reagan...
Bono, you HAVE found what you're looking for. The treasury is the tip of the iceberg. You could empty the U.S. Treasury and not even TOUCH the true wealth that made America great and that makes up Western Civilization.
WE have the true Midas touch. God gave it to you. Look around.
"Give me money or I'll hate you and try to kill you."
To be truly anti-poverty means being a capitlist, not a socialist, as which Bono sure seems to be. Teach these people how to do for themselves. Abolishing their debt does nothing to help them.
Well said. Abolishing the debt will do more to hurt than help. It only enables corrupt regimes to hang on longer. The starvation that will occur in Zimbabwe this summer is the result of insane policies on the part of Mugabe and the ruling government. Giving them food won't help if it means that Mugabe can stay in office longer.
Is Bono a US resident? If not, why isn't he taking his own country's money instead of ours?
It's time to close the wallet. Congress is out of control.
Any out of touch poseur who makes it into people magazine has more influence on government policy than a million real working Americans. What a shame, for them and us.
This could be a 'Quote of the Day'.
Thank you for the kind words.
The problem with the assistance that we provide these countries is that it rarely gets to the people it is supposed to help. Gotta love that corruption.
Then why not urge South Africa to stop printing fiat currency and back their dollars (rands) with gold?
"All three" of you parasites would be living in a cave and drinking rainwater if it weren't for the very people you want to rob to temporarily assuage your misguided, stupid consciences.
BUMP
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