Bob Geldof

[ReD_ReBeL]

i was reading another left wing forum on the net the other day and they where saying bob geldof is a prick etc but i see him as a good man who genuinely trys to help the poor, even tho he may not even have communist ideas in the slightest i still think he should be respected for what he is trying to acheive and truely believe his heart is in ending poverty, what do you folks think?

[bunk]

Prick

[bolshevik butcher]

Have to say that I think he's a prick, Make pvoerty history was a farce that was used to take the emphasis of the g8 protests away from the far left.

[sovietsniper]

Hes a idiot. He really thinks Bush and co would listen to some concert for polirical issues

[YKTMX]

What's the diffirence between Jesus and Bob Geldof?

Jesus doesn't think he's Bob Geldof.

:)

[Atlas Swallowed]

He and Bono are both fakes and pricks.

[h&s]

Really anyone who expects the very people who cause world poverty to be able to cure it with a few little gestures, and then goes on about how good all this pointless campaigning is, has to be a prick.
What has he actually done? So he launched a campain on a famine, and did very well at what he did, but at the end of the day it was us, the people, who gave our money to this while he and his celebrity's millions stayed firmly in their pockets, save for a few (relatively) small donations.
He's too much of a big-head not to be a prick.

[coda]

This is what I think of those people, which would include off the top of my head...Geldorf, Bono, Angelina Jolie, Michael Moore, Oprah, all of the celebrities who endorse the "End Poverty Now" Campaign and a bunch of other people.....

If they really believed in ending poverty, they would be as poor as we are... they would keep just enough money to pay their bills, have a decent moderate standard of living, and would give the rest of those millions to the cause they support. All of their money Right Now, combined together, would buy a lot of food and vaccines for a lot of people and children.

[Atlas Swallowed]

Alot of this so called charity by celebrities and the wealthy is just to dodge taxes. My wife and sister in law watch alot of crap about celebrity lifestyles on vh-1 and E. It makes me sick to see these ass wipes spending all thier money on useless conveinances and status symbales when thier are people around the world starving to death. They are the new royalty, living their lives of unnecasary luxury while poverty and misery run rampant around the world. Bill and Miranda Gates are perfect examples of this. Throw some crumbs to the needy while living your wastful luxiourious life. The hell witth them all.

[Scottish_Militant]

Geldof tried to remove politics from the whole G8/Counter G8 stuff and try to 'unite' protesters with imperialist head of states in an attempt to find a solution to poverty, or boost his massive ego.

As we know there can be no co-operation with those imperialist head of states who support and maintain the very cause of this terrible problem.

[Red Leader]

Indigo, you are absolutly right. it sickens me to see celebratys like 50 Cent on bilboards to end aids in africa or something. its nonsesnse. I cannot stand celebraties at all.

[Noah]

Sometimes I wonder how much Bob Geldoff has made from his Make poverty history campaign? in terms of the press and so on.

[WUOrevolt]

I guess that i am gonna be the only to say that his aims are noble but he is going about how to get it the wrong way, and agree with red rebel.

[ReD_ReBeL]

thank you at least one person has agreed with me lol, i know it is off putting tht he may be a millionaire if he is, but thats not the real concern becoz hes not even a communist, he has traveled to Africa personally delivered food to starving kids, whatever his intentions are and even tho food aid might not overall benefit the people for long, but the smile of thm poor african folks faces when thy actual get to have something to eat is actualy moving, and i bet hes done more for the chronically poor africans thn most of you people if not all of you , PeAcE lOvE jUsTicE

[Noah]

Bob Geldoff did more harm than good in my personal opinion.

The Live aid concert was an insult I thought, this is due to the fact that MakePoverHistory was mainly anticipated with Africa and how many bands/singers were actually African? 1!

Also he has publicized the whole of Africa to seem like a poor continent when infact it parts of it are very rich and look just as 'modernized/civilized' as a city in England.

I agree he has visited many Africans, put smiles on their faces and improved their way of living but personally I thought the Live aid and MakePovertHistory campaign weren't impressive or justified.

The MakePovertyHistory wristbands were being sold in our school for 1 pound and later I found only 40 pence was going to charity. 60 pence of administration costs? Or a tip for Geldoff?

Live aid was an insult to Africa as it didn't represent Africa in the slightest, although it was about poverty mainly in Africa.

[ReD_ReBeL]

yes it was pretty dodgy there wasn't more 'wordly music' there , of course there will be richer parts of Africa, but u gotta remember alot of Africa is poor too, why should thy mention the rich, theve got a comfortable enough lifes, all of the enthasis should of been on the poor becoz thts wht thy r trying to raise awareness of, and wen he raises this i can bet you at least quater of the people think of what a fuck up our government has done and probly consider joining a leftist party to benefit the poor peasantry, its better thn him raising more for the riches lol

[Noah]

Hmmm well I was recently at a Pan-Africa meeting and this was very contraversial.

It can also have negative effects for example; some people think 'Yeah we've done our bit, we've bought the wristband put in a donation, let's just hope for the best and wait 20 years till the next Live Aid' .

This is the point of view of people I know and it is very annoying. After last summer all the talk about MakePovertyHistory has literally stopped.

Also, I don't think throwing money at African countries will help in most cases.

Do you think Mugabe will spend the money on something constructive?

You can't 'MakePovertyHistory' under capitalism it's not possible and in my opinion Bono and Geldoff are capitalists.

Same thing applies to the band 'System of a down' really, they always complain about the corporations and how they destroy the world and so on. But they're record deal is with the Sony Corporation? To me it's all a publicity stunt. Geldoff made money out of this. Bono made money out of this. Alot of other people made money of the the MakePovertyHistory campaign.

So to conclude no, my respect for Geldoff is very little.

[ReD_ReBeL]

yes i know it has its faults but also its gains, as u sed it cannot be helped under capitalism , my point exactly capitalism isnt going to go away anytime soon in the major western countries , so the least we can do if give thm some food man and show thm that there r some ppl who care for thm

[Noah]

Yes MakePovertyHistory did increase aid and money to 'third world countries' but at the same time those countries in Africa were/are being impoverished by some of the same countries that are helping them, no justice is made to these 'third world countries'.

As I said, I don't think throwing money into a corrupt system will work, I don't think many Africans will benefit from MakePovertyHistory but if you know it has, please show me!

Change has to begin at home in my opinion I say, capitalism will go away sooner if leftists start getting on the streets and spreading the word, this is the catalyst.

If people just wait every 20 or odd years for a LiveAid concert then ofcourse capitalism isn't going to go away anytime soon.

I understand what you are saying but I don't agree with any gains the MakePovertyHistory / LiveAid campaigns have provided because I don't think they have provided any.

[ReD_ReBeL]

At Gleneagles the G8 agreed a comprehensive package of support to Africa. An increase of global aid levels by an additional $50 billion by 2010, with $25 billion for Africa, a doubling of current levels of aid to Africa. A debt deal worth $55 billion for the poorest countries, mostly in Africa. Plus, through the Paris Club, the biggest ever debt deal in Africa’s history, worth $17 billion for Nigeria. On trade, agreement was reached on an ambitious trade round and commitment to increased assistance for building the capacity to trade. , i believe this is on the right track for the moment and i believe this was due to the pressure of the Live8, make poverty history

[Noah]

In addtiion to this did you know the some of the countries involved in these aims steal millions of tons of oil and other resources from Africa? So it actually pays off. Members of the G8 have impoverished and still are impoverishing ex-colional countries many of which are now known as 'third world'.

I wonder whether they will even reach their target by 2010.

How do you think the debt built up in the first place it was because of the richer countries, many countries they will just go back into debt.

[ReD_ReBeL]

yes i know but i believe we should unite help end the debt(make povrty history) so while the capitalist government is still in power the poor still get a little sumthing and we should also keep fighting for a socialist government so it helps both ways

[Noah]

Fair enough comrade but I don't think throwing money at a country who's government is corrupt and brutal will spend money on their people. The debt will never end that's the whole point. Many of these countries have been in debt for decades, ever since their indepencence from colonialism and under the circumstances not much will change.

We must keep on fighting for a socialist government but I think it is only after a socialist government is formed they will begin to allow the 'third world' countries to progress.

[ReD_ReBeL]

yes i very much hope so, but look at the USSR sataleite states, thy relitivly poor thmselfs, and why did so many ppl try to go to west germany from the east? i think there was some corruption down the line

[Noah]

Originally posted by [email protected] 26 2005, 02:42 AM
yes i very much hope so, but look at the USSR sataleite states, thy relitivly poor thmselfs, and why did so many ppl try to go to west germany from the east? i think there was some corruption down the line


I don't understand your question comrade.

PS/ Perhaps we should start a new thread or something, I don't think many people would appreciate it us going a little off-topic like this. Sorry guys.

[rioters bloc]

or maybe a mod could split it into a 'make poverty history/drop the debt] thread? *hint hint* :P

one of the major problems i have with the make poverty history campaign is that it paints the countries who have contributed or are making some moves to dropping some of the debt as these amazing altruistic nations who are filled with goodwill and whatnot, without even looking at the reasons why so many poor nations are burdened with absurd amounts of debt anyways, nor does it look at the underlying roots of poverty and how these richer countries have contributed.

rather, it attempts to hide these issues altogether. wiping debt won't get rid of poverty, because poorer countries will continue to be exploited. and by countries, i mean their citizens - i mean, really, how likely is it that bourgeois governments are going to use the money they save from interest to affect real social change in their countries?

it benefits them if their citizens are poor. but it benefits the first world even more.

[rioters bloc]

in other words:

no replastering, the structure is rotten

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Also keep in mind that alot (most?) of that prmoised "aid" money is either never delivered, or if it is, never reaches the actual people that need it.

[bunk]

It was later admitted that the aid increases were big becuase they included the money from the debt that they were cutting in their figures. Geldof brought the focus away from Gleneagles and allied himself with Blair. He condemns protestors from doing other campaigns other his Live 8 which hijacked the protest movement. Everyone was dissapointed with the resul of the summit except Geldof.

Anyone who bought the wristbands supported sweatshops, they were made in sweatshops.

[coda]

Ya know what's really annoying. Is that us leftist show up at these G-8 and anti-capitalist protests every year, relentlessly. And we have to battle the pigs and whatnot. And Geldorf comes a long on a whim, with his Make Poverty History campaign with sentimental nostalgia trying to tie it in to Live Aid, (a Longgg 20 years between him doing shit) and because of who he is.. a washed up musician;-- I don't think he's done anything since the Stray Cats... and the two bastards, he and Bono, get a special visititation with Blair and all kinds of media attention--- when we've been doing it all a long!!!! What a _ _ _ _ . I couldn't believe when he led that march on Downing Street. Who the fuck is he!!!! If he wasn't the rich bastard he is, he's get no notice at all.

[Noah]

Totally agree, Bob Geldoff is a carpetmuncher to but it nicely.