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Give Bono's Money Away
Human Events ^ | 3-21-02 | Terence P. Jeffrey

Posted on 03/24/2002 10:26:59 AM PST by The Old Hoosier

Give Bono's Money Away
By Terence P. Jeffrey

The Irish rock singer Paul Hewson—who insists the world call him Bono—visited Washington last week to demand more U.S. foreign aid. He even enlisted President Bush in the cause.

Here’s a suggestion for the President: Slap a 100% tax on all income earned here by foreign rock stars to offset the cost of foreign aid.

Bono—who writes lyrics like "Alright alright, alright, alright, alright/It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright"—sees himself as a poet. The Bono Tax would be such an act of poetic justice you have to believe he’d love it.

Here’s how it would work: He gets taxed. Americans get a tax cut. The great Pharisee of rock’n’roll can still parade from Ritz to Ritz, in sackcloth and ashes (or is it silk shirts and sashes?), explaining to reporters and politicians how his heart bleeds for the destitute masses over there somewhere. American workers right here would keep more of their pay to put clothes on their own kids.

In a recent issue of People, Bono betrayed the kind of shanty Irish class hatred that would make my Irish kin roll their Kerry blue eyes. "There is an old story about an American and an Irishman looking up at a mansion," said Bono. "The American looks at it and says, ‘One day I’m going to live in that place.’ The Irishman looks at it and says, ‘One day I’m going to get the b------ who lives in that place.’"

For this filthy rich Marxist materialist, America is the mansion. American workers are the b------s. And what he wants to get is our hard-earned pay.

This should inspire exactly one application of Mr. Hewson’s ideology: Level it against him and that pernicious class of millionaires to which he belongs, the foreign rock star.

They live in mansions. Many, if not most, are b-------s. Let’s get their pay.

Unfortunately, rather than seize Bono’s U.S. earnings, Bush invited him to a speech at the Inter-American Development Bank. In the speech, Bush proposed a three-year, $5-billion increase in U.S. foreign aid. Yet, in proposing his Bono-driven aid bonus, Bush correctly attacked the underlying premises of foreign aid itself.

"Contrary to popular belief," said Bush, "most funds for development do not come from international aid. They come from domestic capital, from foreign investment and especially from trade."

Right—that’s why development does not happen where governments steal capital and loot foreign investors.

His new aid program, Bush said, will "reward nations that root out corruption, respect human rights and adhere to the rule of law," and "where people can start and operate a small business without running the gauntlets of bureaucracy and bribery." Of course, Bush then correctly conceded, if regimes that receive foreign aid actually do these things "they will really no longer need it."

I’d bet Bono’s mansion that after Bush’s aid proposal runs its course Bono will be back demanding more—and Third World despots around the world still will be looting their peoples.

The principal difference between then and now is that the despots then will have more of our tax dollars.

Perhaps Bono has given Republicans an even better opportunity than the temptation to take him at his word and seize his wealth. It is a chance to debunk the false pretense of his argument.

Bono is right about the problem. Much of the world lives a miserable existence, subjected to disease and poverty it should be the lot of no human person to endure. But Bono is wrong about the solution. It is not government. It is freedom. Man is not elevated by the state, he is elevated by his own exertions when the state gets out of his way.

That used to be the Republicans’ theme song. Have they forgotten how it goes?


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: bono; clashofcivilizatio; hollywoodpinglist; irishlist; unlist
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To: The Old Hoosier
What do you get when you rotate the "N" in BONO by 90o?
21 posted on 03/24/2002 11:00:29 AM PST by Bonaparte
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To: lawgirl
Listen, I completely agree, and I'm a big U2 fan. But it's still really funny to see it written up this way.
22 posted on 03/24/2002 11:00:39 AM PST by The Old Hoosier
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To: The Old Hoosier
Bono spends thousands upon thousands of dollars on designer sunglasses. Maybe if he wore Ray Bans it would free up lots of his cash to lessen Third World debt.

He'd rather keep his money and let us foot the bill for loans that have lined the pockets of despots. It just shows how truly ignorant these celebrities are.

23 posted on 03/24/2002 11:04:12 AM PST by CharlesI
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To: The Old Hoosier; mtngrl@vrwc
It's funny except that people that don't know the true story will believe it at its face value.

I know that I don't agree with a lot of Bono's politics- like the whole letting African nations out of debt with our tax money--BUT the guy is no hypocrite, and that is why I can respect his views even though I disagree with them. He gives away large amounts of time and money to causes he believes in, and as he is a Christian I believe his motivation is a good one.

24 posted on 03/24/2002 11:04:22 AM PST by lawgirl
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To: lawgirl
He has an awful lot of money for a class warrior, though, lawgirl. As Paul O'Neill said, it makes little sense to fund third-world governments with money from American carpenters and plumbers. I think Bono should pony up a lot more before he starts lobbying our government to take away our rights and our money.
25 posted on 03/24/2002 11:09:06 AM PST by The Old Hoosier
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To: lawgirl
TV interview in Europe showed a rather thoughtful man, in a somewhat naive way.
A comment from him was approx:
I can make millions just by walking out on a stage and singing poorly for a few minutes. Me, just one man. If I can do that so easily, why can't Ford and Daimler take the profit from a few minutes of what they do to do something good in Africa. Do we see them do that? No, we don't.
That's kinda' hard to argue, seen from his point. Then he went on to ask why Arabia used their oil profits to harbor a beast like Idi Amin, yatta yatta yatta.
Interesting fellow. Apparently he sponsored some sort of recreational program for the Irish youth growing up, as he said, children without enough for a second spit.
26 posted on 03/24/2002 11:13:26 AM PST by AzJP
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To: Owl_Eagle
music preferences have nothing to do with politics. I listen to KMFDM and System of a Down (and I'm 18) and in the last VA state election I vote republican for governor and AG and libertarian for lieutenant governor
27 posted on 03/24/2002 11:15:30 AM PST by dheretic
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To: veronica
I hate to see Bush pander to a phony character like this.

Actually, I think it's a politically savvy move on Bush's part. U2 has consistantly continued to be amongst the most popular bands for over twenty years. A lot of dumbasses take Bono's opinion seriously, and he is more popular with my generation(mid 20s)than Streisand, Rosie, the Baldwins, and all the lame ass Hollywood libs combined. If Bush is perceived to be a friend of Bono, it will probably gain him a few votes he might not have otherwise gotten.
28 posted on 03/24/2002 11:17:38 AM PST by HDawg
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To: The Old Hoosier
All that needs to be done to put these limosine libs back into their box is to set up a provision in the tax code where anyone who wishes can donate all their income, above the established poverty level, to whatever government program in which they feel we don't spend enough.

1. Housing the homeless
2. Feeding the hungry
3. International aid
4. The UN
5. etc.

Let them put their money where their mouths are before demanding the rest to part with more of their own paychecks. How many think Cher, Babs or Sheen will be selling their mansions in Malibu?

29 posted on 03/24/2002 11:19:27 AM PST by Bob J
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To: CharlesI
It just shows how truly ignorant these celebrities are.

Try "hypocritical"

30 posted on 03/24/2002 11:23:47 AM PST by LantzALot
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To: dheretic
I listen to KMFDM and System of a Down

I have to admit, I’m not really sure what KMFDM or System of a Down are (my tastes run more toward Wagner and Verdi). However, I don’t think it’s a leap in logic to assume that music which espouses extreme liberal viewpoints (I remember seeing some band chant “Free Mumia” at the end of their T.V. performance [Rage on the Machine???]) would appeal to people with a lefty bent and repel those with a “Right-minded” viewpoint.

Owl _ Eagle
“Guns before butter.”

31 posted on 03/24/2002 11:24:53 AM PST by End Times Sentinel
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To: The Old Hoosier
Bono should go live with his 3rd world scum rat friends. Maybe he could be the main dish at Mugabe's next big feast. I heard they need the food now since they killed off all the white farmers.
32 posted on 03/24/2002 11:27:19 AM PST by Eternal_Bear
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To: Eternal_Bear
I think U2 is vying to become the official band of the New World Order.
33 posted on 03/24/2002 11:50:07 AM PST by stratman1969
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To: Owl_Eagle
KMFDM has a strong anarchistic political leaning. Its music tends to be nihilistic anti-government (not this government sucks, let's make a new one but government itself sucks), anti-organized religion, cynical about all economic systems and the like. System of a Down is a leftist band, but from the lyrics I've heard it can't be really described as anti-American the way rage can. The biggest distinction between SoaD and RATM is that SoaD has actively avoided trying to become the next media darling political band which is the exact opposite of what RATM did. Oh and SoaD's music videos are far more artistic and traditonal than RATM's which tend to be nothing more than a video-collage-turned-political-soapbox.

The way that SoaD approaches politics is more along the lines of writing political essays for their website rather than trying to turn complex politics into catchy rhymes. And of course, they have a singer that doesn't sound like a crackling just hitting puberty teenage boy (RATM's now former vocalist... can't call him a singer.... Zach De La Rocha has one god awful voice!)

34 posted on 03/24/2002 11:51:05 AM PST by dheretic
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To: Registered
I want to be knownas 'the poster formerly known as big guy and rusty 99' and my wife, repogirl, wants to be known as 'larry'
35 posted on 03/24/2002 1:44:23 PM PST by Big Guy and Rusty 99
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To: dheretic
do you know how yoko ono's singing was said to sound like a 'retarded person being beaten'? I think Zach La Rocha's voice sounds like yoko ono being beaten with a retarded person. (sorry, if I have offended.)
36 posted on 03/24/2002 1:47:31 PM PST by Big Guy and Rusty 99
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To: Big Guy and Rusty 99
off
37 posted on 03/24/2002 1:48:49 PM PST by Big Guy and Rusty 99
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To: CharlesI
Bono spends thousands upon thousands of dollars on designer sunglasses.

But Bono considers himself an elite Socialist. It's the middle class he despises and wants to rob to pay for his causes. He's not parting with his precious dollars obviously.

38 posted on 03/24/2002 1:55:35 PM PST by FITZ
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To: The Old Hoosier

Noblesce Oblige...

39 posted on 03/24/2002 2:02:29 PM PST by Jeremiah Jr
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To: lawgirl
He's not that amazing. The Edge is a better musician. Ted Turner has given away lots of wealth too. Couple of weeks ago, I saw a 'Time' magazine, I think, with the title, 'Can Bono Save The World?', or something like that.
40 posted on 03/24/2002 2:02:46 PM PST by real saxophonist
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