Live 8

Could everyone check out http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/features/global/live_8/ and spread the word on these issues and how they can help out. Thanks!

I want to know some more details about this debt relief.

For example, what is the debt from? How are the governments of these countries? Why are they in poverty? Don’t get me wrong, I would like to eliminate poverty, but is their poverty the result of corrupt governments? Would this just be helping the gov’ts? Are there more details that we are not aware of?

I’ll repeat my questions from the other thread.

How much money do you think it would take to end poverty in Africa? How about a $100 trillion? Do you think giving Africa a blank check to draw on the wealth of the G8 would end the corruption and poverty? Give me a dollar amount.

It’s people like you who spend there whole life on one leg.

[quote]doogie wrote:
I’ll repeat my questions from the other thread.

How much money do you think it would take to end poverty in Africa? How about a $100 trillion? Do you think giving Africa a blank check to draw on the wealth of the G8 would end the corruption and poverty? Give me a dollar amount.[/quote]

I have no idea what that means.

Do you have a dollar amount that you think would “fix” Africa? Or do you just feel better by pretending to make a difference?

[quote]doogie wrote:
I have no idea what that means.

Do you have a dollar amount that you think would “fix” Africa? Or do you just feel better by pretending to make a difference?[/quote]

doogie:

The quick fix unfortunately does not include actually finding solutions to this sort of problem. It’s much easier to play on peoples emotions raise a few bucks then go back to your daily life.

What you are asking is; what does it take for a permanent solution to the pain that these people are enduring. That question needs to be asked and answered in order for this problem to be eradicated.

However, to do nothing until that question is answered is also wrong minded.

[quote]ZEB wrote:

However, to do nothing until that question is answered is also wrong minded.

[/quote]

I agree, but I think convincing a generation of kids that the answer lies in our government sending our tax money to Africa is evil.

Live Aid tried to get people to donate willingly to fight the starvation in Ethiopia. Hopeless, but at least not evil. Live 8 is trying to get governments to forcibly take money from their citizens and send it to Africa (and I do include debt forgiveness in that).

I fucking hate this shit so much. Give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for life. Fuck this monetary aide shit. Tell those posers that sing songs to raise money to further Africa’s dependence to FUCK OFF. How about taking your happy tree-hugging ass over there and build a government, and economic infrastructure and the ability to farm and irrigate their own land. Africa’s fate does not rely in the wallets of rich men, it lies in the minds of intelligent men. Give Africa new and innovative ideas before you give them money. I for one am for the liberation of all third-world countries from the collective TITS OF THE UN. Sorry for the rant, but this shit pisses me off.

[quote]Gianacakos wrote:
I fucking hate this shit so much. Give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for life. Fuck this monetary aide shit. Tell those posers that sing songs to raise money to further Africa’s dependence to FUCK OFF. How about taking your happy tree-hugging ass over there and build a government, and economic infrastructure and the ability to farm and irrigate their own land. Africa’s fate does not rely in the wallets of rich men, it lies in the minds of intelligent men. Give Africa new and innovative ideas before you give them money. I for one am for the liberation of all third-world countries from the collective TITS OF THE UN. Sorry for the rant, but this shit pisses me off.[/quote]

Wow. While I wouldn’t have phrased it quite that way, I agree in principle. This whole concert business is ridiculous.

[quote]Gianacakos wrote:
I fucking hate this shit so much. Give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for life. Fuck this monetary aide shit. Tell those posers that sing songs to raise money to further Africa’s dependence to FUCK OFF. How about taking your happy tree-hugging ass over there and build a government, and economic infrastructure and the ability to farm and irrigate their own land. Africa’s fate does not rely in the wallets of rich men, it lies in the minds of intelligent men. Give Africa new and innovative ideas before you give them money. I for one am for the liberation of all third-world countries from the collective TITS OF THE UN. Sorry for the rant, but this shit pisses me off.[/quote]

Touche.
And I am a liberal.

My question is how many people who are buying into this stuff actually vote? I know that we in Canada tradtionally have very poor voter turnout and I think it is the same in the U.S. I laugh when I hear this crap about how “8 men” are to blame for the problems of the world. If people want to effect change, how about voting for new leadership instead of painting your face and buying a t-shirt??

And while I am ranting, how about reading a book or a newspaper instead of listening to a lecture on African history and macroeconmics from Madonna??

Sorry for the rant, I watched too much T.V. yesterday and now I am all riled up:)

how much money did the last concert raise? A few hundred million? Tell Bono to sell one of his TWO CASTLES and you have more than enough. That asshole has more money in his back pocket than most people make in a year, and he wants them to sacrifice for africa, but he wont give up one of his TWO FUCKING CASTLES.
anybody who buys into this really needs to rethink things a little…

[quote]CHF wrote:
My question is how many people who are buying into this stuff actually vote? I know that we in Canada tradtionally have very poor voter turnout and I think it is the same in the U.S. I laugh when I hear this crap about how “8 men” are to blame for the problems of the world. If people want to effect change, how about voting for new leadership instead of painting your face and buying a t-shirt??

And while I am ranting, how about reading a book or a newspaper instead of listening to a lecture on African history and macroeconmics from Madonna??

Sorry for the rant, I watched too much T.V. yesterday and now I am all riled up:)[/quote]

“Riled up” and exactly right!

Serious question, guys…

In whose hands does the raised money DIRECTLY go to?

If it’s in the hands of these African pseudo-democracies…then the Concerts only enrich the Few, and never reaches those in need.

Mufasa

I actually agree, that the concert is not the best way to go about helping Africa. But so SOME extent it will help Africa. Going after the governments is a good thing, not in that it will make them send more tax money to be absorbed by some corrupt African government, but maybe it will make them change their policies in a way that will genuinely accelerate the very things you talk about. Helping their infrastructure, helping them prosper by themselves.

It is a bunch of feel good BS.

Financial aid is only good for the short term. The US has given $ 560 billion dollars (in todays money) to Africa over the last 40 years and the situation is worse than ever.

They need better governments. Less socialistic government control of the economies and more capitalism.

Less dictators, more freedom. It is the only solution.

Live 8 is a cruel joke.

The music heads should have learned from their first attempt to help Africa, where the money that they raised went to fund the corrupt regimes that were starving their own people. This allowed them to stay in power and starve their people for an additional 5-6 years. Way to go Live Aid. Way to make a difference.

Now we are supposed to pour more money into that black hole? Just because you can play a tune on some kind of noisemaker doesn’t mean you actually have a clue about politics, economics or government.

I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bash “the greatest thing that’s ever been in the entire history of the world.” Live 8 rules dude.

Here is a link to a good article on Live 8 for “grown-ups”

The point behind the Live 8 concerts is that they are centered around the G8 talks going on this week. You can not ask individual governments to be responsible for the problems of a whole continent but you can ask the 8 most influential countries in the world to help spread awareness to the rest of the world?s governments. The Live 8 concerts are geared toward the complacent youth, non-voter, groups and no one else.

On a separate note, most people think Africa is alone in it’s corruption–not so, Europe as a whole decided their fate long ago when they decided to rape, pillage, and exploit the African people (read, colonize). They colonized and drew borders around what they thought they had rights to without consideration to historic, tribal boundaries and when they were through taking what they wanted and were fed up of colony life they left the tribes to fend for themselves. Often times the majority tribes took it upon themselves rid the minority tribes from the “new” country (a la Rwanda, et al).

Say what you will about the commercialization of aid funding but keep in mind Africa has not had a very good example to follow when it comes to self-government over the last 2 or 3 centuries. I believe the G8 can at least try to make up for that–as for the concerts, if they bring awarness to the MTV generation then no harm no foul.

my .02

Great points, Lift!

It wasn’t until recently that I began to understand that “Live8” was more realted to awareness…but are not there millions still raised?

My question was in whose hands this money went…

So I agree with your summation…no harm no foul, I guess…

Mufasa

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
Great points, Lift!

It wasn’t until recently that I began to understand that “Live8” was more realted to awareness…but are not there millions still raised?

My question was in whose hands this money went…

So I agree with your summation…no harm no foul, I guess…

Mufasa[/quote]

They are trying to raise awareness in order to get the governments of the G8 to kick in more money. The concerts were free, so I do not know how much money was raised.

The concerts were timed to make this a primary issue at the G8 summit.

They have been saying they do not want our money, they just want our governments money. What is the difference?