Live 8 - The Hopelessness of it All
Excellent article in Slate discussing the uselessness, if not danger, of the whole "Live-8" thing, comparing it to the disastrous "War on Poverty" of LBJ. In the 1960's, a confederacy of clueless do-gooders, power-hungry vote-counters, and Stalinists joined forces to tear the country apart. They left in their wake a legacy of burned-out cities, a dysfunctional black community, and a nation lacking in self respect. We have recovered somewhat, but the scars remain.
Africa is in a state of chaos that is almost unimaginably bleak. But it can get worse. The first step would be for every sentient human being to sit up and make the following admission: "Africa was better off under colonial rule." The cathartic effect could be huge. Then everyone might then ask "Why is that?", and then perhaps sensible thoughts might soon overwhelm us all. Perhaps collective contempt for all the silly old geezers on stage might help jump-start this process.
Africa is in a state of chaos that is almost unimaginably bleak. But it can get worse. The first step would be for every sentient human being to sit up and make the following admission: "Africa was better off under colonial rule." The cathartic effect could be huge. Then everyone might then ask "Why is that?", and then perhaps sensible thoughts might soon overwhelm us all. Perhaps collective contempt for all the silly old geezers on stage might help jump-start this process.
posted by ziel | 6/29/2005 11:49:00 PM
6 Comments:
I couldn't agree more with Ziel on this one. I was in England when "Live 8" was announced. In fact, I'd just finished a great article in a British mag about Geldoff in semi-retirement. How ironic.
I think Bob has a good heart but is misguided here. Forgiving the massive African debt (which the G-8 Finance Ministers did weeks before the big G-8 meeting (still to come) or the concert (bet that pissed Geldoff off) does not solve the problem.
We just wipe the economic slate clean for the Mugabi's of the continent. You can't impose democracy or civility on people (read: Iraq) and economic relief is almost worse than doing nothing. It does nothing to change the political situation (as it appears to have been done with no strings attached) and empowers the warlords and tyrants who will no doubt point to their strength & influence as the basis for the world's economic surrender. Do the promoters realize that virtually none of those who are subjects of this "movement' will have the technology and/or political freedom to see it?
I do not know what the answer is for Africa but it wasn't Live Aid and it's not this.
Nothing will change positively in Africa as a result of this but some rock stars may sleep better at night and, hey, who doesn't want to see a reunited Pink Floyd?
Harlem
I don´t know about Africa being better off under colonial rule, but I´d like to address my comments to these benefits in general. I find them always to be just big circle jerks. If these geezers would pass the hat amongst themselves, there would be alot less hungry mouthes to feed. I still don´t get how Paul McC has more and darker hair than I do.
Here´s a piece on a British singer who´s sentiments I can relate to.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/06/10/live8.albarn/index.html
Right on Harlem:
Nothing will change positively in Africa as a result of this but some rock stars may sleep better at night and, hey, who doesn't want to see a reunited Pink Floyd?
Harlem
Go to the roger waters website, read his comment on Live 8 and you will see why they haven´t reunited until now.
I'm anxious to hear Bob Geldoff's and Bono's comments on the events in London yesterdat (7/7/05).
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