I just love the Irish!

Bono is at a U2 concert in Ireland when he asks the audience for some quiet. Then in the silence, he starts to slowly clap his hands.

Holding the audience in total silence, he says into the microphone. Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.

A voice from near the front of the audience pierces the silence and says for all to hear....Fookin stop doing it then!

Bwaaaahaaahaaahaaa!

Saeed

Yes those Irish and in particular these (africa liberal activists) are certainly a pack of fools.

Only the feeble minded follow these f.wits that are conning the world to donate to africa poverty WHEN IN FACT those with a part brain in their head surely by now must understand that the money gets pilfered, missappropriated, and plain STOLEN by the middlemen and dictators whom are (laughing all the way to the bank) by those (mainly liberal white fools) whom give their money away thinking it will help a deprived destitute child in Africa

There is ONLY (one way to save Africa) and I know, believe me, take out, or should we say politely (remove the dictators) and that will be a good first step to trying to solve the massive VERY SAD problem facing the starving multitudes

Cheers Peter

Peter
I like TAKE OUT best.

Cheers

Oh man, that's priceless. You got to remember that these liberals and the generation before them; still believe that if everybody would stop fighting, there will be no wars. They're still ingesting hallucinogens and smoking that green shit by the ton.

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:
Saeed

Yes those Irish and in particular these (africa liberal activists) are certainly a pack of fools.

Cheers Peter

Yes, how right you are, all of us Irish are fools, all 4 million of us.

for the green hats, well said

quote:

Originally posted by Irish Paul:

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:
Saeed

Yes those Irish and in particular these (africa liberal activists) are certainly a pack of fools.

Cheers Peter

Yes, how right you are, all of us Irish are fools, all 4 million of us.

Any person that has been to Dublin won't make a comment like that....

You certainly do manage to play a decent game of rugby nowadays.....

Well done in beating the Boks and Oz two weeks in a row....and you might have helped us to get rid of the FOOLISH John Smith as captain of the Boks

quote:

Originally posted by Irish Paul:

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:
Saeed

Yes those Irish and in particular these (africa liberal activists) are certainly a pack of fools.

Cheers Peter

Yes, how right you are, all of us Irish are fools, all 4 million of us.

Paul

Don't worry about Babbla Babbla.

What me worry?

The Irish aren't afraid of anything except alcohol prohibition, and being forced to go to Jesuit School!!!

Bono is an Idiot. He believes, in his deluded mind, that his money has given him some sort of political platform to spew from.

I wish he would quit spewing it all over the rest of us. If it looks and smells like shit, it probably is shit.

An' lave off on the Oirish and drinkin', now, ya bloody bastards, ya!

The raisin the good Lard invented whisky, ya know, was only ta keep the Oirish from takin' oover the whole fookin' world!

Similar vein, some rap artist has hit upon the brilliant idea, never thought of before, of teaching Africans to cut diamonds so they can do more than "just mine them".

He's off on a fact-finding trip and has started a foundation to further his idea.

I see the Israelis and the Dutch scampering for cover already.

So how legitimate do you think "Bono" is?

While he was already a huge rock "star", do you think he saw how Bob Geldof got a knighthood, lots of recognition all over the world, so decided to pull a similar PR stunt?

I note Geldof now has a "travel" show in Africa, and one episode was him "travelling" in the Congo.

I just had a taught (Irish) pronunciation for thought (-:

How about I donate a NICE BIG PACKAGE for Robert Mugabe for Christmas,

Maybe dear BONO might hand deliver it to the OLD MAN and then they can BOTH enjoy the contents ...

I leave it up to you on what might be in the package, but a nice wet Elephant TURD might be OK for starters

Cheers, Peter

quote:

Originally posted by NitroX:
So how legitimate do you think "Bono" is?

While he was already a huge rock "star", do you think he saw how Bob Geldof got a knighthood, lots of recognition all over the world, so decided to pull a similar PR stunt?

I note Geldof now has a "travel" show in Africa, and one episode was him "travelling" in the Congo.

Bono has abused his position as a "rock star" for PR purposes from day 1. U2 has sold a tremendous amount of records/CDs due to their political rubbish. I remember lots of sheeple buying their stuff because "U2 supported the 3rd world", and not because they actually liked the music much.

The funny thing is that several educated people I've met in Ethiopia mentioned to me that the worst thing that happened to their country was that Bob Geldof arrived on the scene, and turned Ethiopia into a nation of beggers who are now dependant on foreign aid. These educated locals thought it would be better for their country to throw out the UN and all the NGOs so that they would be forced to stand up on their own two feet. Which Ethiopia is perfectly capable of.

Bono is in the same catagory as Geldof, both should be declaired persona non grata in Africa.

I don't intend in getting into an argument about foreign aid and let me state here that in principle I am against foreign aid in Africa.

But to their defence, both Geldof and Bono are 1 person with a tremendous agenda that relies on dozens of other people in their respective team for action, advice and implementation. The principle of what they would like to do is grand and noble. It is the way it is being implemented that is wrong. And for this, I think, they individually are hardly to blame.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwanamich:
I don't intend in getting into an argument about foreign aid and let me state here that in principle I am against foreign aid in Africa.

But to their defence, both Geldof and Bono are 1 person with a tremendous agenda that relies on dozens of other people in their respective team for action, advice and implementation. The principle of what they would like to do is grand and noble. It is the way it is being implemented that is wrong. And for this, I think, they individually are hardly to blame.

IMO, Bono is a typical POT HEAD intertainer, who loves to pontificate in a forum where the opposite side has no voice, and who asks stupid people to donate money that is only sapped up but the dictaters of these countries,, like Robber BOB of Zim,Or Bono himslef, and doesn't help anyone except his own popularity, while the childern of Africa are still dieing!

I think the drunk in Ireland was right, "STOP FOOKIN DOIN IT!"

This may sound a little odd but bear with me -

My wife met with Bono earlier this year concerning his efforts in Africa. It was a group of people that are in the health care profession. His message to the group was -

I have an audience due to U2. I have all the money I could ever spend. I realize that U2's music will fade in the future and we will be forgotten. How then, do I/we make a difference in the world?

The discussion ranged over a host of topics from AIDS to malaria to Bill Gates (Microcsoft rich guy) efforts to world hunger. THe message he got from this group was that education about nutrition, health, academics were the keys to turning the tide of suffering.

As you know, having been to Africa and other places - the mindset is not about "bettering our country" or "bettering our race" or "creating a sustainable agri-business". It is about getting all I can as quick as I can with little or no concern for the other guy. The majority of the countries lack leadership or visionaries that can guide the masses past the "I got mine and I want yours" mentality.

My wife's feelings coming out of the meeting were-

1. He is well intentioned and understands that he does not understand the endemic problems every well.
2. He is sincere about helping.
3. He is listening to a lot of people that are giving a great deal of good advice and conflicting advice.
4. He is looking for wisdom from someone or some group to guide him and his efforts.

With all of that said - my impressions as well as my wife's are that he is trying to "make the world a better place". If you have an idea or a method by which he can do that with his resources and contacts - go to his website or call his offices. If you have a plan, he or his folks will listen.

The worst thing to do is write him off or criticize the efforts without offering a better or more well thought out idea.

I have no dog in this race and I could not tell you the difference between U2 song and the Beatles - but at least he is trying to do something and he is not asking me for money to do it....

Gee, if we could just get Ted Nugent and Bono into a political discussion, and Bono got pissed off and challenged Ted to a dual.

Roger QSL

How is Bono going to give African countries:

-Stable monetary systems
-Private property rights defended by the government
-Legal systems that facilitate commerce and industry?
Until these and other conditions are in place, no real progress will be forthcoming.

Brice,
Based on what my wife heard at her meeting with him, those are not the issues he is focused on. The big issues he is aware of are health issues centered on malaria prevention/treatment, AIDS education/prevention/treatment, agriculture and water access issues.

I have had the same questions as you on the issues you mentioned - let me share what I have learned.

Monetary systems are for people who have money - most sub-Saharan Africans do not have money. To me, Argentina/Mexico/Russia and a few others have a worse monetary system than most of sub-Sahara Africa. The rand is stable as is the currency in Namibia.

Private property rights and legal systems go hand in hand. However, the locals have a very short history of "rule of law" due to the colonization of their countries where the locals were excluded from government and prime education. In other words, they have learned from us people of European descent about government but our example was to make them vassals in their own countries. There is no easy answer other than to do the best we can to educate them on alternatives to the current practices. The land issues in Zim, RSA and possibly other places is far less intrusive and unfair as the land ownership practices in the old USSR, China, the UK (prior to the advent of elected officials). The concept of land ownership is relatively new to the entire world. In all of history, most governments did not allow private ownership of land - the king owned it all. Then communism said - "we" own it all (but did not in reality), then capitalism said - let me buy it from you for a fair price (ask the American Indians about this), then the generals said - we fought for it and now we own it, then Thomas Jefferson said - hey, France, sell me your land in our country (who gave it to France in the first place?), then we bought Alaska from the Russians (where was the deed?).

So, the concepts that we are seeing enacted in Zim and RSA are not as terribly far fetched as you would think. It is very hard to teach a country or a race of people how to live by the rule of law when they have lived by the rule of "strength" for so long and are relatively happy with it. Further, we people of European descent do not do a good job of practicing what we preach - check out Iraq, Rwanda, Afgahnistan, and on and on....

I am not defending what Zim or RSA are doing, just offering an explanation for seeming odd behavour.


Saeed's original post was about the apparent attempt by Bono and U2 to demonstrate the plight of children in Africa. It may seem hokey to you and I and it evoked a funny response from the one drunk Irishman in the crowd, but he was using his "platform" to tell you and me that there is a problem. Call it what you wish, but I think Ted Nugent and a host of others do the same thing with their celebrity status to put focus on what they are interested in. Bono could easily have done the same thing to focus on how many abortions happen everyday as well.

I find Barbara Streisand's political agenda distasteful and her reaction to hecklers to be low class, but she has a platform that we have given her via her music.

I appreciate Balla Balla's view as well because he lives there. I would like to hear what Adam Clement has to say as he lived there and is the son of missionaries in Tanz.

Africa (and all places not like our home) is an enigma to us. I feel the same thing about China as I cannot grasp what they are all about.

Like individuals who have their debt forgiven but have a habit of over-spending, does anyone think the countries who have their debt forgiven won't run it back up again and on just as irresponsible or corrupt "needs". Afterall without a different political attitude there will soon be another generation of corrupt dictatorial African "leaders" to "feed" (ie fill their Swiss bank accounts). Let alone the existing ones wanting another slice of "pie".

Forgiveness of debt should only be accompanied in exchange for permanent change in political systems, law, individual rights, press freedom etc. If it is ever reversed, the debt forgiveness should be reversed and especially the leaders, past and present held 100% accountable instead of the nations. Hit them where it hurts, in their personal bank accounts.

***

PS On Bono, I love the way he flies in his private Lear jet from one meeting to another to talk about the need to give charity.

Yep he wants every body and there mother to pay for it, while he moves from one Tax haven to another to keep his. He talks a good game ( mostly rubish) but when it comes time to anite up thats everybody else but. Africa always in most respects been a basket case. South Africa and Namibia works some what but for how much longer?

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
How is Bono going to give African countries:

-Stable monetary systems
-Private property rights defended by the government
-Legal systems that facilitate commerce and industry?
Until these and other conditions are in place, no real progress will be forthcoming.

Universal free education to age 15 would be a good start. The IMF/WB user pays crap has a lot to answer for.

mike

Why is it that people who are good at saying (on a stage or in front of a camera) or singing what other people have written for them, think they have the ability to change the world for the better? You see it all the time, esp. from Hollywood. These people live in an artificial world, as far divorced from reality as you can possibly get, and they think they can solve the country's (and the world's)political problems?

Shame on us, as a society, for elevating these mostly neurotic, egotistical and lame-brained people to a position of importance.