Falstaff

It was refreshing to see the lead singer BONO of U2 a leading activist for AIDS relief and support for the war on disease in AFRICA, speak highly of President of United States and enlightening on the subject of the G8 in Scotland and his opinions about Blair and Bush. I think BONO impressed me with his candor and his honesty, even though he is an entertainer, he spoke about change, about uniting support to help AFRICA and bring human suffering to an end. BONO recognized long ago that the music constituency which is composed of both conservative and liberal people do not care about whether he is a "misty eyed IRISHMAN talking passionately" about world hunger, it is much larger of course. The WAR ON TERROR is really about the WAR ON HUNGER (COLIN POWELL). BONO recognized that Pres. BUSH has sent more money than any other American president to support work against HIV infections in AFRICA, something that is often overlooked by the SPIN DOCTORS in the liberal press.

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Zardon

Not sure I always agree with what he says, but he is a good speaker. He is one of the few superstars who is paid actually to speak at events, and quite highly paid too, and to think I used to go see him play at the weekend in bars in ireland before he became famous.

Falstaff

Imagine if Gary Moore spoke up for world hunger and peace......amazing

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TJ-

I wonder if he would do it if he wasnt paid. These 'stars' dont care about anyone but themselvs. If they did mabye they would donate some money rather that live life in super luxury. Its all trying to get people saying his name so they will buy his crap albums. Personally i hope the all rot in hell...

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new sig comming soon

mike2h

sounds like envy to me.

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radTube

Axe being cynical? Nooo...

I don't give a damn about what some celebrity preaches either though. As if their career in entertainment gives them some special insight on all kinds of things. But on the other hand, their superstar-status does give them a huge amount of influence over people, and I (generally) prefer the things Bono promotes to those some people do... (I almost threw in a couple of names, but angry fanboys are so scary .) I'm not saying I agree with Bono's world politics though.

Would you believe if I told you that not everyone wants to be a celebrity? I know I don't...

mike2h

it has nothing to do with 'wanting to be a celebrity'. it has to do with disliking/denigrating people just because they are celebrities. call it envy, call it bigotry, call it whatever you want, it still speaks of a very narrow prejudicial view of other human beings.
i do not care that i am not a celebrity/famous/rich. but if i got the oppertunity i would jump on it because i could at least do something about what i beleive/disbeleive instead of putting down other people for using the fame & fortune that they worked hard for(would not mind the $$ either).
i also beleive that 99.99% of the people out there that say they have no use for fame/fortune & would never want it would take it in a heartbeat if it was offered to them

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radTube

Believe what you want. I wouldn't mind the money, but I have no use for fame. Does that make me one of the 0.01% then? But we're getting sidetracked here.

Falstaff

But the larger picture is this, regardless of any entertainers political views, if they can seek to bring in the worlds powerful people and organizations and are successful, then surely they have accomplished much, regardless of their own views, I think BONO has accomplished much, but I wouldnt agree necessarily with his politics, but he was courteous to Pres. Bush and Tony Blair in his statements and asked for support for the starving and disease ridden people of Africa his organizations are helping.
We often ignore Africa, but it will be the crucible for foreign policy and all efforts to supply AID by western nations. BONO is just one of the entertainers involved, but I was impressed with his ability.

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raid517

I couldn't care less about Bono or any celebrity. Indeed I think it's a particularly American thing that you guys seem to take the whole idea of celebrity so seriously - as though fame bestows on you some kind of special powers.

Bono in any case is an utter meglomaniac. He once said in an interview in profound seriousness that he 'didn't think it was any coincidence that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, came after U2 released their Rattle and Hum album only a year earlier.' He actually imagined that everyone in East Germany had listened to 'Rattle and Hum' and upon hearing it had all en mass decided to start plotting against their government and to start a revolution.

Now if that isn't a man who has long ago lost touch with any sense of reality, then I don't know what is.

And what has he got to say about anything anyway? He recently admitted to being a billionare - so how can he preach to anyone else about what they should or shouldn't contribute to Africa? How can he tell governments what they should and shouldn't do, how can he preach to people much poorer than him about what and how much they should contribute?

Bush may indeed have given a lot of money to Africa in the fight against aids. But it is a double edged sword, since it also comes with strings attached that African governments should not promote the use of condoms in this so called fight.

For those unaware of the reality President Bush reinstated the Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule, as one of his first official acts. It was also one of his meanest. The policy bars organizations that receive U.S. international family planning funds from having anything to do with abortion; or promoting the use of condoms - so that even uttering these words in any kind of counseling is verboten.

Of course with his strong Catholic sympathies Bono is prefectly happy with this. He is prefectly happy to live with the absurdity of allowing millions to die needlessly from this devastating illness, simply in order to preserve some perverse notion of this warped sense of religious morality.

I have no admiration for celebrities. For me they are little more than glorified dancing monkeys - and that is very much the way they should stay.

GJ

raid517

More here:

http://www.bonothepuppet.com/news_01_hasBonoSoldOut.htm

It has always been the same. Whenever politicians need any kind of 'street cred', they simply call Bono and he toddles along enthusiastically.

He is a little meglamaniical puppet who is easily flatterd by the attention he gets from the establishment - without realising the rich and powerful (in other words the real players of the world) have had their hand insterted up his butt for years and have been making him say pretty much whatever they wanted.

If you want to respect this kind of behaviour, well that is entirely up to you.

GJ

Falstaff

Politics and world hunger make strange bed fellows....LOL

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raid517

I don't think it should be about world hunger - or simply about thowing aid at Africa every time there is a crisis. I think what it should be is about world trade, I think it should be about stopping the protectionist practices that prevent Africa from trading on an equal basis with the rest of the world - because unless you do that, Africa is always going to be in a state of pretty much perpetual crisis. It's easier (and cheaper) if every few years you bung Africa a billion or two to ease your concience (or at least promise to) instead of doing away with restrictions on imports from Africa and instead of doing away with the huge Western farm subsidies that prevent African countries from being able to compete with their first World counterparts on an equal footing.

Global trade should be the answer, not global aid.

GJ

Falstaff

Perhaps the World Bank can loosen its strings a bit on debt repayment or forgiveness, but I know that is just one small facet of the problem...again, like a dragon that rears its head when souls scream out for relief, Africa's politcal woes make it almost impossible to remedy the situation. So many smaller nations dependent on limited resources to survive.
I think regardless of how much of a "megolmaniac" BONO really is, he remains a positive force irrespective of his "fee".

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raid517

I think there is a common falacy in America that all African government are currupt - as it often makes it easier for America (and other govenments) to say no to aid.

However I still believe much more would be achieved - both in terms of preventing a dependance on aid and in bringing about genuine democratic reform, if we liberalised our markets to allow Africa to compete with us on an equal basis. Bono and his pals are way off message with this particular appeal. (Indeed stupifyingly so - since he and his chums forgot to even invite any Africans at all to take part in their Live8 concerts. Africa had to ask at the last minute if it could hold a concert of it's own - so Bono gave them a venu in some obscure corner of Souh West England. I mean how can you work to put together the biggest series of concerts in history in order to combat African hunger - and then forget to invite any Africans ? And then when you do remember, you tell them that they can only take part if they play in the garage?)

If they were on message, like I said, they should be shouting and campaigning for African trade, not African aid.

GJ