Live 8 Coverage

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

And its also not because we dont throw enough concerts for them.

---

IDBTN. The power of Motley Crue and Maroon 5 is unfathomable.

You're all missing the point here.

Pink Floyd was amazing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outRider

Aid to Africa (and anywhere else for that matter) goes through non-government organisations like the Red Cross and Oxfam, not the governments of those countries.

Actual aid to Africa in 2003 was $27 billion, and the population of sub-saharan Africa is 600 million. That works out to a paltry $45 per person for the year of 2003 (probably less due to logistics and administration in actually delivering the aid continent-wide).

---

So why exactly do these people deserve our money? They formed their own culture which has put them in such a shitty spot and giving them money certainly isn't going to help that. Whey they start forgetting about getting revenge on that one tribe that stole their elephant 2,000 years ago, maybe they'll start making some progress then.

Toronto is pissed Barrie got the concert instead of them. Oh well.

Neil Young, and The Hip were on fire. Sam Roberts was shit though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gohron

So why exactly do these people deserve our money? They formed their own culture which has put them in such a shitty spot

---

Yeah, you're all totally forgetting how they asked the Europeans to come in and colonize them and completely fuck everything up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rich

You're all missing the point here.

Pink Floyd was amazing.

---

No shit. I almost cried.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Scourge

No shit. I almost cried.

---

I had a few tears in my eye.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gohron

So why exactly do these people deserve our money? They formed their own culture which has put them in such a shitty spot and giving them money certainly isn't going to help that. Whey they start forgetting about getting revenge on that one tribe that stole their elephant 2,000 years ago, maybe they'll start making some progress then.

---

They don't deserve your money, and they don't deserve my money.

But for my part I feel obliged to help them because I realize that my ancestors have benefitted cruely at their expense, from Colonialism and slavery just 200 years ago, to lop-sided trade practices and economic exploitation today. Their culture didn't put them in a shitty spot, us pillaging their villages for slave labour to run Dutch sugar plantations in Jamaica and cotton plantations in Carolina did. Fighting proxy wars between European powers in Africa using Africans did. Stealing whatever resources and meager wealth they had to take back to Europe and the Americas did.

None of that involves me personally, so no they don't deserve my money, but call me crazy if I think I owe them something in the grand scheme of things.

For your part you can do whatever floats your boat, you personally are not responsible for such a situation, and this isn't a guilt trip.

(And note, they aren't asking for money directly in this instance, they want G8 countries to trade with Africa fairly. Developed countries insist that African countries remove tarrifs on goods coming in (in the name of free trade and lowering the price of goods for poor people) while themselves maintaining tarrifs on African produce that is much cheaper to protect American/European farmers, producers, etc. Kind of hard for the African economy to grow if they can't sell anything to us to be able to buy what they need from us. And it also doesn't help that we prize their most valuable resources (gold, silver, diamonds, coal) but do nothing to make sure the labourers who mine them are treated fairly. Aren't we fueling corruption that we all complain about by buying this stuff on the cheap and selling it for huge profit? I think so.

If it takes the attention of millions of people for world leaders to acknowledge these lopsided trade practices, so be it. If the few want to mobilize many through free music, so be it, I got a summer afternoon of enjoyable music out of it, if nothing else.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rich

Pink Floyd was amazing.

---

As someone who's seen Roger live 9 times in 3 countries I gotta say the reunion was pretty emotional. I saw Nick and Rog in together in London back in 2002, but the four of them on stage for the first time in 24 years was awesome. And they were (at least up until that point) the only artists to have all of their tunes aired by the MTV/VH1 mess. Well, they did talk over Comfortably Numb and cut it off - did they ever show the group hug after?

http://www.sphere79.com/pinkfloydreunion2005.jpg

Quote:

---

And it also doesn't help that we prize their most valuable resources (gold, silver, diamonds, coal) but do nothing to make sure the labourers who mine them are treated fairly. Aren't we fueling corruption that we all complain about by buying this stuff on the cheap and selling it for huge profit? I think so.

---

Hooray for DeBeer's!

I think the biggest problem with these countries, at least from an economic development perspective, is NOT trade issues, but the lack of property rights protection and the confused bureaucracy. I read an article in the Economist that said a lot of the things that are very easy to do in the US/UK/CA/etc. like set up a business, submit a trademark, etc., take 1 or 2 steps vs. 15 or 16 in those countries. Not to mention the exorbitant fees and bribes you need to dole out.

But whatever.