Live8 message: We care!
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Live8 message: We care!
i hate these kinds of things. live8 and all the like are a bunch of bullshit publicity nonsense that simply stroke the egos of these "musicians" whose heads are already so large, they're in orbit.
excusing the clearly conservative site, take a moment to read the following editorial, as this guy gets it right on, and sums up exactly how i feel about this nonsense.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/j...20050706.shtml
excusing the clearly conservative site, take a moment to read the following editorial, as this guy gets it right on, and sums up exactly how i feel about this nonsense.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/j...20050706.shtml
According to Bob Geldof, 2 billion people watched his snazzy Live8 concert thingamajig. Therefore, he declared, "It's now for the leaders to act." He also added, "Now feel the force of the gale that's hit you." At the top of Geldof's gale-force demands: debt relief for African nations.
OK, so here's what I'm confused about. People watched a concert, which was chockablock with acts supposedly popular with the young 'uns and old 'uns alike. From Snoop Dogg, Will Smith and Coldplay to the more aged likes of Madonna, Sting and Bono. There were even a few troubadours with last names (or at least two first names), such as Elton John.
And the spectacle was impressive, so much so that Chris Martin of Coldplay declared it "the greatest thing that's ever been organized probably in the history of the world." (You've heard of the Normandy invasion, the Manhattan Project, the Marshall Plan, various moon landings, the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church? Impromptu flea markets! We've got a major-league telecast here.) Passing over Mr. Martin's slight overstatement, no harm will come from conceding that it was a very nice concert for those interested in such things.
But tell me, how exactly was Live8 a monumental demonstration of support for helping Africa?
Perhaps we could organize an ice cream and candy giveaway at the local mall to show that children are against the deficit? Anyone who shows up is for raising taxes. Or, hey - and I'm just thinking out loud now - maybe Madonna could invite everybody to show their concern about global warming by coming to her mansion (pick one) and helping themselves to whatever's in her fridge.
You see my point? Presumably this was a concert most of the attendees wanted to go to anyway. To say that 2 billion people favor debt relief for Africa is akin to saying that everyone who watches "Desperate Housewives" is pro-choice because the producers are.
You may be wondering how much money this intercontinental jam session raised for the sick and dying of Africa. Alas, not a farthing. Sir Bob Geldof was very explicit about this point. Live8 was intended to raise consciousness and exert political pressure on the G8 summiteers. No one was allowed to actually raise money for the masses of starving people in Africa. None of the dollars spent on the concert by fans, corporate sponsors, or television networks will reach Africa. Charities couldn't rattle tin cups outside the porta-potties and concession stands. This was solely an effort to prod the West to get behind the slogan, "Make Poverty History."
Nice line. But, uh, how? I'm sure Geldof, Bono and a few others have some ideas worth listening to. But I somehow doubt the Madonna and Snoop Dogg fans in the audience had formed a particularly cogent consensus on how to "Make Poverty History." In fact, I doubt you could get even a fraction of them to agree on a recipe for apple brown betty.
Very smart people have been trying really, really hard to make poverty history for a long time. Heck, they've been working very hard to make Africa just ever-so-slightly less hellish for a very long time. Debt relief is probably part of a potential solution, but without ending Africa's tendency to produce horrible, greedy dictatorships, debt relief is more akin to paying off a drug addict's credit cards.
Even if the concert-goers were speaking with a single voice, they weren't saying anything of much use, except "we care" - and aren't we special people for it? Geldof summed up the attitude perfectly when he said, "Something must be done, even if it doesn't work."
This concert was an exercise in boosting the self-esteem of the audience. Included in the ticket price was grace on the cheap. T-shirts cost extra. Live8 was an appeal to the vanity of people who collectively aren't concerned enough about Africa to watch a classical music concert.
Geldof's heart is in the right place, I'm sure. But what he really did was successfully bribe a bunch of people to be props in a publicity stunt. And I somehow suspect that the G8 leaders do feel the force of the gale that's hit them - and it feels a lot like a gust of hot air.
OK, so here's what I'm confused about. People watched a concert, which was chockablock with acts supposedly popular with the young 'uns and old 'uns alike. From Snoop Dogg, Will Smith and Coldplay to the more aged likes of Madonna, Sting and Bono. There were even a few troubadours with last names (or at least two first names), such as Elton John.
And the spectacle was impressive, so much so that Chris Martin of Coldplay declared it "the greatest thing that's ever been organized probably in the history of the world." (You've heard of the Normandy invasion, the Manhattan Project, the Marshall Plan, various moon landings, the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church? Impromptu flea markets! We've got a major-league telecast here.) Passing over Mr. Martin's slight overstatement, no harm will come from conceding that it was a very nice concert for those interested in such things.
But tell me, how exactly was Live8 a monumental demonstration of support for helping Africa?
Perhaps we could organize an ice cream and candy giveaway at the local mall to show that children are against the deficit? Anyone who shows up is for raising taxes. Or, hey - and I'm just thinking out loud now - maybe Madonna could invite everybody to show their concern about global warming by coming to her mansion (pick one) and helping themselves to whatever's in her fridge.
You see my point? Presumably this was a concert most of the attendees wanted to go to anyway. To say that 2 billion people favor debt relief for Africa is akin to saying that everyone who watches "Desperate Housewives" is pro-choice because the producers are.
You may be wondering how much money this intercontinental jam session raised for the sick and dying of Africa. Alas, not a farthing. Sir Bob Geldof was very explicit about this point. Live8 was intended to raise consciousness and exert political pressure on the G8 summiteers. No one was allowed to actually raise money for the masses of starving people in Africa. None of the dollars spent on the concert by fans, corporate sponsors, or television networks will reach Africa. Charities couldn't rattle tin cups outside the porta-potties and concession stands. This was solely an effort to prod the West to get behind the slogan, "Make Poverty History."
Nice line. But, uh, how? I'm sure Geldof, Bono and a few others have some ideas worth listening to. But I somehow doubt the Madonna and Snoop Dogg fans in the audience had formed a particularly cogent consensus on how to "Make Poverty History." In fact, I doubt you could get even a fraction of them to agree on a recipe for apple brown betty.
Very smart people have been trying really, really hard to make poverty history for a long time. Heck, they've been working very hard to make Africa just ever-so-slightly less hellish for a very long time. Debt relief is probably part of a potential solution, but without ending Africa's tendency to produce horrible, greedy dictatorships, debt relief is more akin to paying off a drug addict's credit cards.
Even if the concert-goers were speaking with a single voice, they weren't saying anything of much use, except "we care" - and aren't we special people for it? Geldof summed up the attitude perfectly when he said, "Something must be done, even if it doesn't work."
This concert was an exercise in boosting the self-esteem of the audience. Included in the ticket price was grace on the cheap. T-shirts cost extra. Live8 was an appeal to the vanity of people who collectively aren't concerned enough about Africa to watch a classical music concert.
Geldof's heart is in the right place, I'm sure. But what he really did was successfully bribe a bunch of people to be props in a publicity stunt. And I somehow suspect that the G8 leaders do feel the force of the gale that's hit them - and it feels a lot like a gust of hot air.
CHRISTMASTIME IN IRAQ
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Bay Area
While I acknowledge his points, what's HE doing besides bitching from an armchair?
Cheap jab, I admit.
Regardless, there's a whole host of problems in the world today. But, the main reason of the Live8 concert was to raise awareness and get people's interest peaked. 1/6th of the world's population lives their entire life, each day, on the same value it takes me to buy a cheeseburger. That's not good.
Cheap jab, I admit.
Regardless, there's a whole host of problems in the world today. But, the main reason of the Live8 concert was to raise awareness and get people's interest peaked. 1/6th of the world's population lives their entire life, each day, on the same value it takes me to buy a cheeseburger. That's not good.
snitches get stitches
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 49,696
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From: Portland, OR
Celebrity endorcments tend to have the opposite effect on me. I dont want to listen to celebrities tell me how I'm a greedy slothful american while these assholes go on shopping sprees, own multiple million dollar homes, and drive the most wasteful cars while I've barely got enough money to make it through school.
Fuck that.
Fuck that.
Floppy Death! noES!!!
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Scranton, PA
Originally Posted by Epoch
While I acknowledge his points, what's HE doing besides bitching from an armchair?
Cheap jab, I admit.
Cheap jab, I admit.
He's not saying HE'S trying to help. He's just saying look at these morons.
It's like me walking by and seeing somoene trying to sell someone a wooden cam shaft. I don't know what one will work with that car or really much else about even what they do. But I do know a wooden one won't work, so I point it out.
Anyway, I do agree. It was a huge waste of time and peoples money. Africa, IMO, needs to work on it's own problems. They need to stop fucking untill they get things under control. They need to help themselves.
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Originally Posted by click sidious
He's not saying HE'S trying to help. He's just saying look at these morons.
It's like me walking by and seeing somoene trying to sell someone a wooden cam shaft. I don't know what one will work with that car or really much else about even what they do. But I do know a wooden one won't work, so I point it out.
It's like me walking by and seeing somoene trying to sell someone a wooden cam shaft. I don't know what one will work with that car or really much else about even what they do. But I do know a wooden one won't work, so I point it out.
Originally Posted by RB
Celebrity endorcments tend to have the opposite effect on me. I dont want to listen to celebrities tell me how I'm a greedy slothful american while these assholes go on shopping sprees, own multiple million dollar homes, and drive the most wasteful cars while I've barely got enough money to make it through school.
Fuck that.
Fuck that.
Last edited by reno96teg; Jul 7, 2005 at 08:18 AM.
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From: Ossining, New York
It really was a farce. The money spent on holding the event could have been donated instead and would have done a lot more good than just raising people's awareness. That being said, to make an even bigger impact, they could have donated all proceeds to the fund, but alas, that was not done either.
All that was done was that celebs made themselves feel good and that they did something for the world by participating in this event when in all reality they did nothing.
Celebs should stay out of world affairs and politics imho. They think they are intelligent about issues and what's going on in the world but in many cases they are the most ignorant people out there and shouldn't be influencing their many mindless fans. If they really wanted to do something then they should donate money to the cause they believe in. I wonder how many of these celebs that supported Live8 actually donated money.
All that was done was that celebs made themselves feel good and that they did something for the world by participating in this event when in all reality they did nothing.
Celebs should stay out of world affairs and politics imho. They think they are intelligent about issues and what's going on in the world but in many cases they are the most ignorant people out there and shouldn't be influencing their many mindless fans. If they really wanted to do something then they should donate money to the cause they believe in. I wonder how many of these celebs that supported Live8 actually donated money.
The deer had to die!
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Fussa, Japan
Originally Posted by RB
Celebrity endorcments tend to have the opposite effect on me. I dont want to listen to celebrities tell me how I'm a greedy slothful american while these assholes go on shopping sprees, own multiple million dollar homes, and drive the most wasteful cars while I've barely got enough money to make it through school.
Fuck that.
Fuck that.
Originally Posted by BonzoAPD
It really was a farce. The money spent on holding the event could have been donated instead and would have done a lot more good than just raising people's awareness. That being said, to make an even bigger impact, they could have donated all proceeds to the fund, but alas, that was not done either.
where did the money from tickets go anyway?