Why Bono Should Shut The F**K UP!
During the recent G8 conference, Bono, the lead singer of the band U2 and tireless campaigner for aid to Africa criticized Canada as being a lagard in giving aid to the African continent. This is not the first time that Bono, tireless campaigner for aid to Africa, has criticized the aid policy of the democratically elected government of Canada. In 2005, he criticized then prime minister Paul Martin for breaking a personal pledge to increase Canada's aid to Africa. As a Canadian, I must say that I find this to be more than a little impolite.
I am describing Bono as a tireless campaigner for aid to Africa because unlike Bill Gates, he is not a tireless donor to aid groups in Africa. Bono shared Time's 2005 Persons of the Year cover with Bill and Melinda Gates although this does not seem fair since Bono only pays his own airfare and meals when he travels to lobby important people while Gates has donated billions of dollars to the fight against AIDs and tuberculosis. To the best of my knowledge, despite the fact that U2 is one of the most successful bands in the past twenty years, he has never actually donated money to any of the aid groups he is touting. Then again, perhaps I am being unfair. His financial situation may not be as strong as I thought, since his band had to move their multi-million dollar song catalogue from their native Ireland to Holland where the taxes are lower. I can only presume that his tireless campaigning for aid to Africa has prevented him from making enough to live on. Either that or he does not like to pay taxes.
Anyway, I am getting away from my main point, which is that Bono should shut the F**K up. Bono's repeated description of Canada as a rich country is inaccurate, as a visit to any hospital should make abundantly clear. Canada appears to be well off because it has had a balanced budget for the past ten years and its economy has been growing steadily for much of that time. However, all that this means is that it has reached the stage where it can start to pay off its very large debt and put some money aside for the future. It only seems rich because no other developed nation aside from Australia has managed to accomplish this basic task. I am no fan of Stephen Harper, but if he chooses to listen to the voters (at least the people who voted for him) rather than a holier-than-thou rock star who is too cheap to donate anything other than hot air, well it looks like he is doing his job.
If Bono wants to help the poor people in Africa, maybe he could hold a series of concerts where all of the ticket and merchandise sales are given to aid groups. Then instead of being a tireless campaigner for aid to Africa he could be a tireless contributor to aid groups in Africa. Unless of course he prefers to tell other people how to spend their money. That and not pay his taxes.
By the way, one of the reasons why countries like France, Italy, Britain, Germany and America feel obligated to donate to Africa is that they are former colonial powers and realize that they are partly responsible for the current situation. Canada is a former colony, not colonial power, and its only involvement in the African continent was peacekeeping missions.
Oh, and Bono, one last thing. Shut the F**K up.
I am describing Bono as a tireless campaigner for aid to Africa because unlike Bill Gates, he is not a tireless donor to aid groups in Africa. Bono shared Time's 2005 Persons of the Year cover with Bill and Melinda Gates although this does not seem fair since Bono only pays his own airfare and meals when he travels to lobby important people while Gates has donated billions of dollars to the fight against AIDs and tuberculosis. To the best of my knowledge, despite the fact that U2 is one of the most successful bands in the past twenty years, he has never actually donated money to any of the aid groups he is touting. Then again, perhaps I am being unfair. His financial situation may not be as strong as I thought, since his band had to move their multi-million dollar song catalogue from their native Ireland to Holland where the taxes are lower. I can only presume that his tireless campaigning for aid to Africa has prevented him from making enough to live on. Either that or he does not like to pay taxes.
Anyway, I am getting away from my main point, which is that Bono should shut the F**K up. Bono's repeated description of Canada as a rich country is inaccurate, as a visit to any hospital should make abundantly clear. Canada appears to be well off because it has had a balanced budget for the past ten years and its economy has been growing steadily for much of that time. However, all that this means is that it has reached the stage where it can start to pay off its very large debt and put some money aside for the future. It only seems rich because no other developed nation aside from Australia has managed to accomplish this basic task. I am no fan of Stephen Harper, but if he chooses to listen to the voters (at least the people who voted for him) rather than a holier-than-thou rock star who is too cheap to donate anything other than hot air, well it looks like he is doing his job.
If Bono wants to help the poor people in Africa, maybe he could hold a series of concerts where all of the ticket and merchandise sales are given to aid groups. Then instead of being a tireless campaigner for aid to Africa he could be a tireless contributor to aid groups in Africa. Unless of course he prefers to tell other people how to spend their money. That and not pay his taxes.
By the way, one of the reasons why countries like France, Italy, Britain, Germany and America feel obligated to donate to Africa is that they are former colonial powers and realize that they are partly responsible for the current situation. Canada is a former colony, not colonial power, and its only involvement in the African continent was peacekeeping missions.
Oh, and Bono, one last thing. Shut the F**K up.
posted by History on Film at 12:27 AM
4 Comments:
Your blog is fantastic Andy!
More ammo for you:
#1 - Bono has no money of his own for the poor but his Elevation Partners does have $325 million to buy 25% of Palm Inc. That might have been a good investment ten years ago but now it's like throwing money away.
#2 - Bono came out last year in favour of extending music copyrights from 50 to 95 years. The Guardian newspaper in the UK thought the idea was ridiculous and said this about Bono: " ... why anyone indulges his pious preaching on this or Africa, when he recently lavished huge sums on pursuing a court case against a former stylist to his band to ensure the return of a hat, some trousers and a sweatshirt - 'memorabilia', as he'd have it - is almost beyond comprehension."
-C.
Wow, thanks for opening my eyes, Andy. I always had this view of Bono as being one of the 'good guys.' Yet another illusion shattered.
Anyone who brings positive attention to the desperate plight of those in Africa is doing a good thing. HOWEVER, I'm a big believer of putting your money where your mouth is...Bono might consider using some of his saved tax dollars for just that.
Amanda
Bono on vacation
Bono is a compassionate soul who deserves our full support. And if you are won of those fat and lazy Canadians who object to paying more than 50% of your income in taxes to pay for our government's wise spending, you should join all those starving Marvins in Africa!
I for one would pay 80% of my hard earned income to support a great man like Bono - Not!
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