Bono Versus Nugent

Rush Limbaugh, various new sources | May 29, 2002 | Self

[Angelique]

In listening to Rush today, the discussion of Bono's enterprise to pressure the USA to give more financial aid to Africa was a topic. During the discussion, Ted Nugent called in to state that he spends six months in Africa teaching the citizenry about hunting. If you are not aware, Nugent is an accomplished bowhunter.

Who is providing the most assistance to the African people? I watched a special on the tele where the medical care was so atrocious that the African people die from something so curative here. Question to you: Why with all this aid do conditions remain the same? Why does this Continent remain so primeval? Who is helping the most to make a difference? Nugent or Bono?

[Billthedrill]

Well, wait a minute - I did point out that Bono is probably more edible than Ted...or at least much easier to kill...

[Blue Screen of Death]

The bottom line is, this jerk (Bono) has no business telling my government to confiscate my money to spend on causes that make him feel good.

[KissOfTheSith]

>...the discussion of Bono's enterprise to pressure the USA to give more financial aid to Africa

Not exactly. The trip over there isn't Bono's idea. It is the idea of Bush's Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.

O'Neill, Bono, Tucker Visit Uganda
By Rodrique Ngowi
Associated Press Writer
Monday, May 27, 2002; 10:40 AM

[...]
The tour grew out of O'Neill's skepticism about the effectiveness of the billions of aid dollars Africa has received since the 1960s and Bono's determination to show him that aid can make a difference if properly administered.
[...]
O'Neill said the Bush administration has recommended to Congress an 18 percent increase in U.S. participation in the African Development Bank, an 18 percent increase in contributions to the International Development Association, the World Bank's soft-loan arm and a $5 billion a year increase in overall aid from the United States.

If O'Neill were really AGAINST something, he wouldn't have created a media circus to give the "opposition" global attention. If the Administration had reacted the same way to critics regarding 9/11 warnings, the media would have been taken on a tour of the FBI and CIA and White House archives and allowed to dig through whatever they wanted to "make their case" the way Bono is being allowed to make his case...

The Force can have a strong effect on the weak minded. Don't let Jedi wave their hands in front of your face. Or, when they do, question the stuff you find yourself "thinking"...

-- KotS

[CyberCowboy777]

I heard bono on NPR this morning. He admitted that much of the monies already spent were wasted (how many millions?) or that very little ever got to the people or need. He says that the systems for distributing monies and resources is better now. That we should not give up and that we should spend more to help that infrastructure along. He gave no specifics no details as to how it is different now, just rambled on about Aids and Water. When did it change and how?

It is not just Governments that are corrupt and wasteful. many of the NGA/O are just as bad. Only the ones that receive no Nation aid seem to work efficiently.

[far sider]

I don't know about Africa, but I can tell you that in Haiti the "good intentions" of the US often do much more harm than good.

About twenty years ago we shipped boat-loads of rice (one of their main staples) to Haiti to help eleviate hunger there. Of course when the rice got there, we had to find some way to distribute it. So we paid Haitian businessmen and paid bribes to the bureaucrats to allow the distribution. Of course much of the rice ended up on the black market. But we helped to feed a lot of hungry Haitians, right?

Unfortunately, the Haitians have there own rice industry, which was nearly devastated. With all the free and low cost rice available, small Haitian rice farmers could not pay their expenses, and were forced to sell their lands, to the rich businessmen that we had just paid to deliver the rice in the first place.

It's is very hard to ANYTHING to help these very poor countries without very careful study. And the more money is involved the more likely it is that there will be uniniended consequences.

[Kermit]

I post the following, whenever there's a discussion on development in the third world. You gotta read this book, it'll make you an optimist.

These people who write on third world development are so friggin' stupid, they haven't learned anything in 50 years. They've been coming up with magical thoughts for 50 years on "development". State planning was the solution. Exports were the solution. Democracy was the solution. World Banks loans to governments were the solution. Aid is still the solution according to Bush and his latest scheme. Now, they pretend that "globalization" was the solution.

But they are blind. They write about ending poverty, without ever talking about property.

Poverty = lack of wealth
Wealth = property
Ending poverty = getting property in the hands of the poor.

D'oh!

Here's the way to go about it. I recommend to everyone to read this book, it'll open your eyes and immunize you against the type of nonsense in this article.

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[SgtBill]

Who is helping the most to make a difference? Nugent or Bono? Well, I dunno, "teach a man to fish" and all that...OTOH, Bono is eminently edible... Great quip. Just love it. Best of the day.

[Leto]

Many fo the problems derive from tribal hatred that goes WAYYYYY back. Think Arabs vs Jews x 20. Depending which tribe controls the govt, other tribes are disadvanteged. Combined with the lack of political, economic freedom and property rights and you have the ongoing nightmare in Africa. The Cultural problems are the real stumbling block.

[Angelique]

Your perception is keen, but I do believe he got his point across.

[bvw]

Love of Liberty and Justice are the best exports.

[mamelukesabre]

I really don't care. THey're both nut job musicians. ONe just happens to be pro hunting and very good at it, but he's still a loon. If he wants to go to africa and criticize these socialist popstars like bono, I won't complain but I'm not going to pretend like he's a hero for it either.

[Sir Gawain]

It's rough. Africa was hot too.

[Sonny M]

Bono is one of those people who feels guilty. I think even he realizes he doesn't actually acomplish anything. The aid go through (i.e. to) corrupt governments that stay brutal but become more stabilzed. However, in his eyes, its not the results that count, but the effort (sort of a heart is in the right place thing). He will always want aid for these countries, he will get it, it will accomplish nothing, but people will feel better that at least they tried, sort of a stupid version of its better to have tried and lost then not tried at all. Typical liberal thinking. O'neil is an idiot, the only reason he has a job is because he is friends with Greenspan. I'd love to see him resign and let Forbes take over, and push Greenspan out, and bring in Hunter.

[unixfox]

What Africa America needs is governments that can establish property rights and free enterprise, and begin to offer their citizens some sort of basic education.

That's more like it.

[Physicist]

Who is helping the most to make a difference? Nugent or Bono?

Time for me to don my asbestos underwear.

First, some caveats. I'm a hunter. I don't think animals have rights, and I don't think that animals should ever come before people. I think Ted Nugent is absolutely the MAN. I don't think much of Boner Pox...uh, Bono Vox, either as a singer or a demagogue. I think pouring money into corrupt African regimes is a disaster for everyone. I don't dispute that Boner is a fool, on this issue or any other.

However.

The "bush meat" trade is rapidly stripping the African continent of wild game. It won't be long before there aren't any animals to hunt, and after that, they won't come back. Hunting in America is well managed, but in Africa they are facing a classic Tragedy of the Commons. One way or another, it won't last.

I am not saying that the animals should come before the people. The issue is that hunting in Africa is a valuable thing FOR the people, and for that reason it shouldn't be spoiled. Not do the animals feed people, but it was once (and should be again) an important "export", generating dollars from "big game" tourists and "eco" tourists alike. That can potentially support many more people than bush meat.

This important resource should not be squandered. Ted Nugent is wrong to promote hunting in Africa right now. The Tragedy of the Commons needs to be fixed first, either by establishing owners for the animals, or by establishing rational limits on hunting.

[brbethke]

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you can sell him a boat, a trailer, an outboard motor, a depth finder, a GPS unit, a trolling motor, a pickup truck, a wide selection of rods and reels, top-water lures, crankbaits, spinners...

[Angelique]

In other words, you vote for Nugent, and O'Neil should have stayed home. It just occurred to me that we allow the Income Tax, but yet our dollars do go to failed third world countries.

If I want a loan, I must jump through hoops, and for the life of that loan I am accountable to how the money is expended, e.g., a home. You have really raised an excellent aspect to this discussion.

[Angelique]

I love your spirit. It reminds me of the move West.

[Angelique]

I thank you for your kind reply and link. I do need some time to review more thoroughly. Perhaps, both men have an ulterior motive. I would hope not.

[scholar]

Bono is one of those people who feels guilty...

I understand your point, however if MR. Bono feels so guilty he should shuck over a few million of his own money.

The thing that has me livid is that he and his Socialist ilk seem to think that money grows on a tree in the United States. He either doesn't know or doesn't care that the US money tree is provided by taxpaying Americans. Never mind that they have mortgages, bills to pay and children to feed, clothe and educate.