geekville

I came across this via Digg

From Schadenfreude:

No To Bono

Perhaps I’m a little twitchy, but everytime I see ads or articles about Live 8, I am overcome with this incredible urge to track Bono down and kick him in the nuts.

Live 8 is a fraud of unbelievable scale that makes me wretch. Bob Geldof and his lot of self-important millionaires are selling their wares again. This time I am not buying.

On the official website for Live 8, they are careful to explain that this is not Live Aid II. The reason these goofballs have to make this distinction is because the original Live Aid was a disaster that directly and indirectly caused pain and suffering on those it claimed to help. Live Aid did little to stave off starvation. It did, however, provide plenty of grain for warlords to sell for weapons. In the end all the original Live Aid concerts did was to provide some musical acts with some outstanding press and elevate them to a higher status – just like it did for U2.

Which makes me want to punt Bono in his daddy sacks.

It is my opinion that everyone should ignore the events of July 2nd. If we patronize their backslapping, self-serving events, the cultural oligarchy will keep having them. Here are six reasons to not watch, listen nor otherwise participate in this Live 8 scam:

1. Live Aid pushed money and grain into the hands of warlords which in turn was used to fuel tribalism and war. Has anyone been paying attention? Throwing money at problems (either directly or through debt reduction) is not the answer. Starvation is a symptom of the social structure in many of these countries. The only way to end starvation in Africa is to end dictatorships and/or Marxism in Africa. Efforts to mess with the symptoms while ignoring root causes are only window dressing.

The organizers of Live Aid were so whipped up about being important and making a difference, they didn’t bother to look at how what they were doing would play out. I do not expect this time will be any different. At least this time they won’t be sending over tons of grain and depressing the African agricultural industry like before.

2. Which countries are going to be helped by this? The organizers speak of Africa as if it were one large country instead of a continent. This broad brushing makes me very nervous. The lack of specifics to who will be receiving debt reduction, grants and trade equity is alarming at best. Why don’t the organizers specify who they think should get what? Africa includes Liberia, Sudan and Somalia. Are they worthy of our charity? By offering our attention to this event, who are we supporting get debt relief?

3. There is no pressure on any of these countries to change their policies or practices. I believe we should offer debt relief to countries but we should ask for things in return. Perhaps we can ask for crazy things like a stop to slave trading. How about the removal of dictators and/or Marxist regimes? It is not immoral of us to ask for these countries to make an effort to clean themselves up in return for our charity.

What if Bono and Geldof get their wish and all of Africa has their debts wiped out? We will be back in this situation in less than ten years except the situations will be far worse. This is what has happened the other times that we have forgiven debt. We forgive the debt and then a few years later the forgiven countries are back in debt but only deeper. Why? Because they know sad sacks like Geldof will push for more debt relief.

4. By accepting Live 8 we support the cultural oligarchy that plagues our own countries. Make no mistake; this is a power grab by the worldwide cultural left. It may sound like a childish point, but the entertainment industry is worth trillions and those who control it control much of the world. Through events like these, the average person throws their voice behind a group of people who aren’t qualified to raise children let alone make complicated international political decisions. Do we want to give these people the power they are asking for?

5. Why Africa? Yeah, I know they have it very rough and something does need to be done for these poor souls. My question for Americans is this, why not worry about South America? We have our own septic tank to clean on this side of the globe. Let’s help these people get their act together since we’re being so charitable. There’s a chance at least that we can effect some actual change down there.

6. This whole event has spawned the term “extreme starvation”. Extreme starvation? ALL STARVATION IS EXTREME – THAT’S WHY ITS CALLED STARVATION! What these bigots mean by “Extreme Starvation” is African starvation. Asians staring in North Korea need not apply. Kids in the nether regions of the Russia can kiss Bono’s wrinkly butt. Nice. Perhaps we can rename some the African leaders as “Extreme dictators” and the Muslim slave trade as “Extreme slavery”. Maybe we can get all of those patchouli scented college kids to pay attention to those issues then.

I’m sure I missed a couple of dozen reasons but these will do. The impulse to do something is a beautiful thing and indeed something must be done – just not this. Look to the churches and the charities of merit to do their work. Give your money and time to them, they need it. Don’t allow the better part of your nature be misused to fill the egos of these misdirected fools.

You save Africa by making them accountable to their decisions. You save Africa by giving them a helping hand while making them help themselves. To toss them yet another free pass is not debt relief. It is a payday for the bankruptcy in the hearts of their corrupt leaders.

I never liked Bono anyway.