Why do air travellers have to finance Africa ?

[Lucifer Box]

A minor sort of backlash on the BBC website...

On Saturday 2 and Wednesday 6 July, the multiple line-ups for Live 8 will attract a massive worldwide audience.

Rarely mentioned on these occasions are the equally, if not more impressive numbers of people who will not be tuning in.

I will be one of them.

I watched Live Aid. I was depressed by the mullet-headed music, that puzzling logo of a fretboard protruding from the African continent, and resented being browbeaten by multi-millionaires to empty my pockets.

Why I won't be watching Live 8

[expat]

aide

"They" haven't spent it: a few corrupt leaders have shifted it straight out of the country again. Africa is a net exporter of capital.

[TonyEnglish]

Re: aide

""They" haven't spent it: a few corrupt leaders have shifted it straight out of the country again. Africa is a net exporter of capital"

So is that a good reason to give them more then?

I would like to know the cumulative wealth of everybody on the Live 8 lineups all around the world. Having Bonio telling me that I should help the poor in Africa is a bit rich from a guy who owns half of Dublin.

[DodgyAgent]

Re: aide

There is an interesting article in tdays Times by a journalist whose name I cannot even begin to try and spell

www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-1675882,00.html

This giving money thing is all about making wealthy pop stars feel better about themselves. Whilst I believe that they are well meaning I am under no illusions that they are in it for any thing other than themselves. I know they travel to Africa and see things for themselves (they need to build a bit of legitimatacy after all), but if they cared that much about Africa and if they genuinly believed that pouring money into these countries will solve the problems then why dont they put their own money (all of it) where their mouths are?

The real issues that cause such poverty are not to be solved by "giving from G8 countries" they are solved by the people themselves (with help).

All Bono, Geldoff and their mates are doing is convinvince themselves and everyone else that despite their wealth and their greedy, selfish lifestyles they have moral credibility. In other words they are driven primarily by their own guilt.

[AtW]

spelling

> There is an interesting article in tdays Times by a journalist
> whose name I cannot even begin to try and spell

You can't seem to copy/paste link correctly either :rolleyes

This reminds me rumours about a CEO of the IT retailer company I worked for who allegedly was dictating his secretary contents of email to be send to the troops :rolleyes

[DodgyAgent]

Re: spelling

You can't seem to copy/paste link correctly either

I think it is more of a case of you not knowing which buttons to press

[DimPrawn]

Re: aide

All Bono, Geldoff and their mates are doing is convinvince themselves and everyone else that despite their wealth and their greedy, selfish lifestyles they have moral credibility. In other words they are driven primarily by their own guilt.

Could just as well read

All Tony, Gordon and their socialist mates are doing is convinvince themselves and everyone else that despite their wealth and their greedy, selfish lifestyles they have moral credibility. In other words they are driven primarily by their own guilt.

[DimPrawn]

Re: aide

Which makes me think.

Q.

If all the rich gave everything to the poor, what would we have?

A.

More poor people.

[expat]

rich and poor

Or just the same people rich and poor again in 10 years (before John Galt says it).

[John Galt]

Re: rich and poor

Or the same people poor again but with no chance of future wealth 'cos all the rich people have got fed up supporting their lazy arses and have moved elsewhere where they can live in peace and quiet away from do-gooders and bleeding heart socialists