G8 rally

[Sir Roger DeLodgerley]

the truth about live8

[teclo]

How much is live 8 making from the text to win tickets thing? At £1.50 a pop to win these tickets, they must have made a packet.

How much will these incredibly rich artists be donating? Will they be doing it for free?

How much of a change do you think you will make by standing in a crowd? Do you think the politicians will take a bit of notice? Did they take any notice at any of the other G8 protests?

I for one will be donating to Tommys, a lesser known charity that I know helps people.

I am fed up with these guilt led protest / charitys, thats why I chose where I donate my money.

[Vladimir]

''...Bob Geldof, Bono and a host of other 'stars' have decided to give up 99% of their income to donate to charities as well as bring them down to standard EU wage rates..."

Not likely

[teclo]

''...Bob Geldof, Bono and a host of other 'stars' have decided to give up 99% of their income to donate to charities as well as bring them down to standard EU wage rates..."

Not likely

<cynic>yeah, I wonder what the tax break on that is..</cynic>

[Dexter St. Clair]

http://www.tommys.org/index.html

[Apollo]

Watching some reports today, really just suggests the whole protest/charity/live8 thing is just a farce in relation to helping Africa.

The average African has no knowledge of Geldof & Co, the G8 or the protesters, and has no idea what they are doing. It would seem the same is true of their knowledge of what their dictators are doing with any money the country receives. They have little real communication, and the internet there is almost non-existent.

The corrupt leaders have a stranglehold on the country, and smile quietly every time the west anounces another debt cancellation, grant or charity payout heading their way.

There's so much stupidity about disruption, violence and organised infiltration of the protest, that those attending the G8 will spend more time discussing that than anything the peaceful and representative protesters are saying.

The supposedly free concerts will still be costiing someone somewhere along the line, and there will be profits raked in from them.

The real beneficiaries will end up being the the travel companies, caterers and their supporting service industries.

The supporters will probably pay more for their jaunt than will be raised. Conservatively, they'll shell out £1 million for every 100,000 of them that spend £10 to attend.

I could be reading this all wrong (and I most certainly do believe there should be reasonabe representation to those at the meeting), but it seems a terrible waste...

[duncan]

Make Geldof History!
Make Bono History!

[paladin]

but it seems a terrible waste...

It's raising awareness.

What's the alternative(s)........doing nothing?

[Apollo]

No, I don't really think it is raising awareness, since GX happens regularly anyway (I really meant all the cash folk will spend, just to take part or attend).

All most of these folk are doing is going to a concert, or having a good day out, but I'd say most of them don't know why.

In a few weeks, the bands will be all they talk about, and if they're interviewed, they'll just say the "right thing" for the interviewer, and go back to their comfortable little lives.

Alternatives? Not my area, but perhaps thinking out of the charity or aid box might be better in the long term.

Use the money to get people and resources in to the country, set up communications networks, publicise and educate the population as to what their dictators are doing to them and their land. Get the internet in there and open things up.

Stop doing things for them, show them how and give them tools.

But, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so this is mindless drivel.

[The Mighty R I D E]

Right well the way I see it is all those cunts in africa are starving right? Well I blame it all on the type of grub they send thum. Tons of rice right. Well if thy anything like me and have a fuckin chinky or curry your always full tae fuck right? But later on your staving right/ well that’s the fuckin rice
Bags ye up. They should send over tins of beans. tomato soup, corn beef and all that stuff andwater

[HollowHorn]

Ride, how did yer nite oot wi Sharon go? Bet she stood yi up!

[paladin]

But, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so this is mindless drivel.

Not at all, it is all mindless drivel talking about it but implementing practical long-term solutions that make a positive difference isn't easy, in the meantime any help to ease the suffering of helpless victims has to be better than doing nothing at all.

[Apollo]

Saturday starts with a smile

[Molendinar]

This has just reinforced my cynicism about the whole live8 shennanigans;

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050704/325/fmmfo.html

Good debate about it all

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4649043.stm

[Apollo]

Never had, never will, have any interest in live 8, as I said above, just another concert.

More depressing is that black Africans can get away with racism on TV without comment.

Don't know who they were, but spotted on an early morning news interview, a black African man and woman sprted the view that "Eight powerful white men" could do anything about the situation in Africa. Not a peep out of the interviewer.

It's unimportant in many ways, but one wonders what would have happened to a white couple that suggestd "Eight powerful black men" couldn't do anything about some issue?