Live Aid II

Issue number two...

These people can never win, can they?... if they did fuck all and just did their rock star thing, we'd get all righteous on their arses for being selfich rock stars who don't give a fuck about the world... aha, so they do try to something about it... then they fall into the trap of being rich rock stars who are preaching about saving the world (see Sting and the rain forests or Chris Martin being the latest to join the list) when really they should just give up all their money... then we'd be happy because it all comes down to petty jealousy when you think about it... they are rich and we are poor so we don't like the fuckers whatever they are trying to do...

And giving money away is easy anyway, right?... what's the easier thing to do?... buy a copy of Big Issue off a street vendor or actually get off your arse and do some work with the homeless... giving money away is the easy way to salve a conscence... and this is no longer about charity...

Do you actually know how much of their money they give away?... I don't... do you know how much time they have given to setting up all the stuff that has already ghappened and will be happening in the run up to the G8?... I don't... but I would give a guess that it is more than you and I have given to this particular issue...

Yup... Bono particularly sometimes winds me up but I also understand what he has achieved... he is in arguably the biggest band in the world right now... that gives him a degree of influence in the lives of many many people... in Americe this could make a vital difference... let's be honest here... how much does the poverty in Africa influence the lifestyle choices of your average American?... very little, I imagine... so why do you expect them to be interested in a continent that they are so geographically and emotionally removed from?... if Bono manages to get enough U2 fans to take the time to turn up to the Live8 concert then maybe the strentgh of number may just persuade Bush to do something...

And as for Sir Bob?... if he comes across as smug (and he doesn't to me... rather eternally pissed off) then fuck it, I'd allow him to be smug... how many people in Africa are alive today because of what the whole Band Aid thing achieved?... I don't know... how many people would have died if Band Aid had never happened?... I fucking dread to imagine... and the issue of Africe has been a part of his life for 20 years now... why do this if it is something that he does not feel has to be done?... come on, who else is bloody minded enough to encourage kids to bunk off school to attend a demonstration?... are you seriously suggesting that we leave it entirely to our war-mongering, self-interested, money-grabbing politicians?...

Fly...

 

yay go fly. so what if the dude is smug...and i dont know coz im a loser who only hears the news on the local radio so dont know enough.....if hes helping ppl what does it matter what us 'rich europeans' think of him......i bet the africans alive now because of band aid dont think he's smug!

 

Well i hope 1 million plus people shout about the RIGHT things rather than worrying about what a jackass bob geldof is .. (and he can be a jackass ).

It is a shame those bracelets have become 'fashionable' i don't wear one because you sort of get pre-judged and telling people the zillionth time about why your actualy wearing it for, rather than them thinking your A. A fashion victim B.'right on' tree hugging wingnut C.etc gets a bit old real fast.

I was going to say 'it would have been nice' but imho that was not my point i guess.


It is a bit 'ironic' but they still should be given a break..

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=588782005

Those cheap 'fashion bracelets' that are being marketed on the back of the 'real' ones pisses me off more because i very much doubt those companys give a toss where there stocks are made, And that is ongoing and continual use of 'sweatshops'..

 

corrrect LIVE 8... not live aid

 

I was going to make a big long post on this, but Fly said it all, I completely agree with you. Joel, I agree with you that we need structural change. But, to be honest, I don't believe that we're living in the last days of capitalism. Capitalism has only existed in its present form for a very short time, and I doubt it will continue forever. Perhaps capitalism will cease to exist in the course of time, but I don't see that happening any time soon. And what do we say to the starving millions in the meantime? "Don't worry that you've got no food or clean water, and no drugs for AIDS, what you need is structural change, just wait around until that happens?" Or do we try to make the best of a very bad situation, and actually get up off our asses, like Bob Geldof is doing, and try to make a difference. Charity is not perfect, but it is better than nothing. And this is not simply charity, this is mobilising for the G8, perhaps the very centre of the anti-capitalist movement and the fight for structural change itself!

To clarify on the white bands, not all of them were made in sweatshops. Some charities, including Oxfam, Christian Aid and Cafod, ordered in bulk from a company that they had researched very poorly, and later found out that that company made them in sweat shops. I think all of the charities involved have recognised this, and stopped using those factories. The Independent is quoted as reporting:

"We were stupid," said Dominic Nutt at Christian Aid. "We
didn't check it out, Cafod didn't check it out, and Oxfam didn't
check it out."


It should be mentioned that some of the charities have never used companies that employ sweatshop labour to make their bands. The safest one by far, I think, would be Trade Craft, who always do their research thoroughly, as its their central aim to promote fair trade and good working conditions, and they explicitly state that their bands were not made in sweatshops....

 

Do you not bother reading my posts anymore peace'

That anti capitalist bullshit is one of the reasons i am staying away.. i realise there will be swathes of people not with 'other agendas' ... am i going to try and fight my way through and find them .. NO.

 

Actually no, I often don't bother reading your posts anymore, I can generally predict what you're going to say

 

I can pre..oh whatever

 

I was joking, just so you don't get too offended I do read your posts, but I'm not quite sure what you were talking about when you said that originally....

 

I know you was only joking . I don't get offended just pissed off sometimes, i was only joking.

 

Is anyone trying for tickets then?

Has the Pink Floyd rumour been rubbished yet?

 

They had that rumour for Glastonbury once, and honest Iago tricked me with it once too. I'm never believing another Pink Floyd reunion rumour again....

 

Slander! I hope you choke on your Glastonbury drug binge!