Seriously. Se he is an arsehole, but give him a little bit of credit. It's better than 99% of what any rock star is doing at the moment and bonus: It distracts him from further u2 endeavors

Because his glasses are stupid.

I wonder if The Ledge is doing his fair share, too.

steevmit: Because his glasses are stupid.

That's the same reason I don't like him.

How many Courics does Bono weigh again?

hillbillypharmacist: I wonder if The Ledge is doing his fair share, too.

I think Lanny Mullet Jr. and Andy Claypool are helping too.

Seriously, I have no idea why Bondo gets all the hate.

It could be that people find it hypocritical when millionaires point the finger at tight-wad governments after moving out of Ireland to avoid a tax increase.

From Timothy Noah at Slate magazine; A familiar paradox about leftist celebrities in the entertainment industry is that their embrace of progressivism almost never includes a wholehearted embrace of progressive taxation, i.e., the principle that the richer you get, the larger the percentage of your income you ought to pay in taxes. The latest example is U2's Bono, a committed and unusually sophisticated anti-poverty crusader who is taking surprisingly little heat for the decision by his band, U2, to relocate its music-publishing business from Ireland to the Netherlands in order to shelter its songwriting royalties from taxation.

Hello Hello!

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!

People with one standard of living who are convinced they are just getting by don't really want to be told by rich people who write empty pop songs what to do with their lives. It's like if THE EDGE took guitar lessons from his plumber.

So how much money has Bono donated to helping African countries? Anyone?

I always love how it's never mentioned that all that money Live Aid raised pretty much went into the pockets of corrupt African warlords to pay for their tin-pot battles. Also, all the food? Either rotted in storehouses or went to the armies. Bono and Geldof are actually doing more to WORSEN the situation than remedy it. Asshats.

/Boomtown Rats were hugely overrated
//so is U2

SofaKingHuge: So how much money has Bono donated to helping African countries? Anyone?

As his personal accountant, last time I checked he donated 23 $2.00 off coupons for Six Flags.

SofaKingHuge: So how much money has Bono donated to helping African countries? Anyone?

By my method of accounting, about negative 78 million

http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/03/rediculess.html

steevmit: Because his glasses are stupid.

Yep, I think that's it. There are a lot of people to hate on out there, but when you wear those ridiculous sunglasses all the time, it's like painting a bulls-eye on your back.

SockMonkeyHolocaust: People with one standard of living who are convinced they are just getting by don't really want to be told by rich people who write empty pop songs what to do with their lives. It's like if THE EDGE took guitar lessons from his plumber.

Ding ding ding ding ding...We have a WINNER!

/The Edge's plumber is pretty decent with an axe, though.

Cool - Celebs drawing attention to a worthy cause, or at least a cause they care about

Not cool - Choosing to support/not support a cause because of some celeb.

Bono being a e-bag* has no relevance to the cause preventing starvation and disease in Africa. If his work is helping, great. If Louis Strossman was pointing out this problem, it's likely nothing would be done, because Louis Strossman is a nobody. i just made him up a moment ago. But the point remains. No one will listen to Louis. It's a shame that these groups and gov'ts won't keep their word and that a celeb has to get out and push.

Nowadays i don't think of him as a musician anymore, but more of a humanitarian.

Also, normal, sane, level-headed, nice people generally don't become famous. Or those that do tend to loose those traits. Looking too closely at people with success/fame/power is asking for disappointment.

* E-bag - Enema bag. Far worse im

the end should have been:

* E-bag - Enema bag. Far worse im<ho than a d-bag. (c) 2008 Apeiron. YHIHF!

Why should we give money to places like Zimbabwe? Certain countries I can understand, but not others.

/Sorry, Chad.

Bono can wring his hands all day but Western countries arent going to do anything more than what we have always done which is give just enough to shut people up. A strong united African continent is not in anyones best interest. The unspoken plan is to keep them hungry and fighting each other while we siphon off their natural resources.

Genius.

Marisyana: I always love how it's never mentioned that all that money Live Aid raised pretty much went into the pockets of corrupt African warlords

We should send them luggage.

I used to like Bono, but I'm tired of being lectured (as who is not?) by someone whose entire fortune could buy an African country or two. Yes, yes... he's doing better things than, say, Britney and Paris and George Michael and even perhaps Madonna and Brangelina, but his arrogance turns me off.

Go fly a kite, Mr. Hewson--I have bills to pay and a gas tank to fill.

//hell, we can't take care of our own humanitarian crusades in this country!!

dothemath: The unspoken plan is to keep them hungry and fighting each other while we siphon off their natural resources.

This is unfortunately true. I believe Africa will begin to right itself when the western world stops trying to butt in (either to exploit or to help). I think progress is something that must happen organically and naturally--see Iraq. Forcing peoples to become developed and peaceful just doesn't work out correctly.

Bono has used his status to try to help people in Africa. He even dragged Bill Gates with him to Africa. He doesn't sit on his ass and wait for others to help. He has to be outspoken in order to get things done.

We've been seeing telethons, etc for African countries for as long as I can farking remember. What's the point of them getting any more money?

I'm convinced it's not the environment that leaves them screwed, it's themselves. All the other continents have flourished, through wars & other disasters. But Africa? It's like that kid in the class that's just not getting it, and never will.

If we keep giving them money, aid, whatever, what's any incentive for them to dig themselves out?

I know it's snarky, but I am honestly tired of being guilt-tripped into giving money to a country that always seems to be in peril, worse than Iraq, on any given day.

apeiron242: the end should have been:

* E-bag - Enema bag. Far worse im<ho than a d-bag. (c) 2008 Apeiron. YHIHF!

Then the next step would be c-bag? Although colostomybag just doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as douchebag.

welcome to fark where regurgitating South Park passes for wit.

Marisyana: Bono and Geldof are actually doing more to WORSEN the situation than remedy it. Asshats.

Are you actually stupid, or are you attempting to troll?

HEy

THE RICH NATIONS didn't get rich
by GIVIN IT AWAY

you fukkin moronic
pseudo rockin douchebags


$$$$$$

That headline makes my brain hurt.

I like Bono and U2. I especially liked him in Across The Universe. Good on him for his charity.

/Even his late father thought Bono looked like a tool in those glasses
//Cue the Leave [insert celebrity name] ALOOOOONNNNNNEEEEEE!!!! meme

i don't really care about the glasses mostly because there's some, albiet not a great deal, of medical necessity. do they make him look doochey? sure, but it's better than him acting like a dooche like a lot of rock stars.

zappadog: welcome to fark where regurgitating South Park passes for wit.

Welcome to life, where regurgitating pop-culture references also passes for wit. The more obscure the reference, (somehow) the more witty one is.

apeiron242: Cool - Celebs drawing attention to a worthy cause, or at least a cause they care about

Not cool - Choosing to support/not support a cause because of some celeb.



You saw the sunglasses though, right? They are kind of hard not to hate.

I don't agree with giving food or money to any poor nation. I'm ok with giving education and infrastructure but not money or food. Teach them how to grow their own food. Teach them that if you barely have enough food to feed yourself and your current children to not have anymore children until you have enough food for them. Teach them better healthcare and how to cure their ailments and not just give them medicine and cures. The reason these countries have such high birthrates is because of the high infant and adult mortalities. We then give them food and medicine, reducing mortality rates but they keep breeding so they are then back at a point where they don't have enough food and their living conditions increase the potential for ailments. We shouldn't give them technology, we should teach them how to develop it so in the process of developing it they can evolve with it and make appropriate changes in their culture and society. Primarily poor countries are poor because they have a population that their natural resources cannot support. More advanced countries have curbed their birthrates to accommodate for the decreased mortality rates and the resulting effect is less strain on their natural resources. Our population in the US is growing too fast and we are eating up available land and resources. Where is the majority of growth coming from? Third World poor countries that have such huge populations that are spilling over. Unfortunately, if this doesn't stop, eventually we'll be in the same position.

So, tough if Bono and anyone else doesn't like that richer countries don't give more to poor countries. We already give too much.

I don't agree with giving food or money to any poor nation. I'm ok with giving education and infrastructure but not money or food. Teach them how to grow their own food...


All well and good, thinkfuzzy, unless you're already dealing with an ongoing famine.

Who's Bono and why don't parents give their kids last names anymore? Are they that ashamed of them? Judging from the opinions on this thread...

DrBenway: I don't agree with giving food or money to any poor nation. I'm ok with giving education and infrastructure but not money or food. Teach them how to grow their own food...


All well and good, thinkfuzzy, unless you're already dealing with an ongoing famine.

Also less children equals even less incentive to turn the country around.

Tossing money at problems makes them go away!

The Bono SP episode was the worst one they've ever done. Seriously. I can think of plenty of people worth criticizing, but Bono isn't one of them.

Hasn't the population of Ethiopia gone from 33 million starving in the 80s to 80 million starving today? Is that somehow considered successful? We need Bob Barker fixes, not money thrown into the hands of warlords.

I just came here to say: "fark Africa"

mrsirjojo: Hasn't the population of Ethiopia gone from 33 million starving in the 80s to 80 million starving today? Is that somehow considered successful? We need Bob Barker fixes, not money thrown into the hands of warlords.

They are starving. I don't think they'll be too good at pricing games.

"They livew in the freaking desert!!! You can't grow food in the desert!!! We have deserts---we don't live in them!!!!"

Missing Sam Kinison

For God's Sake, Stop the Aid.

// interesting article
// prefer the Heifer Fund when donating my largess

What are Bono's qualifications for determining how to solve the problems in Africa? Exactly, he doesn't have any. He's a pop star. And that is why the South Park episode about shiat was hilarious.

Valdes: The Bono SP episode was the worst one they've ever done. Seriously. I can think of plenty of people worth criticizing, but Bono isn't one of them.


If you had payed closer attention, they actually say "Thats why he can do so many good things, and people still think he's a big steaming turd"

Do you get it?

Marisyana: I always love how it's never mentioned that all that money Live Aid raised pretty much went into the pockets of corrupt African warlords to pay for their tin-pot battles. Also, all the food? Either rotted in storehouses or went to the armies. Bono and Geldof are actually doing more to WORSEN the situation than remedy it. Asshats.

/Boomtown Rats were hugely overrated
//so is U2

This sums it up pretty well. Bono pretends that all of African plight can be solved by throwing money at it, when this strategy often makes things worse.

He also avoids pointing any fingers at the truly evil people. When Thabo Mbeki claims that AIDS and HIV are unrelated, Bono thinks that giving Mbeki more money will somehow benefit AIDS victims.

Frankly, I think Bono's charity work is more about his ego than anything else. He's been at symposiums, etc, where prominent thinkers (including Africans) have explained how he's actually hurting Africa.

dothemath: Bono can wring his hands all day but Western countries arent going to do anything more than what we have always done which is give just enough to shut people up. A strong united African continent is not in anyones best interest. The unspoken plan is to keep them hungry and fighting each other while we siphon off their natural resources.

Genius.

You are an idiot. We give plenty to African nations. You think the problem with Zimbabwe is that we aren't giving them economic aid? You think Thabo Mbeke thinks there's no connection between HIV and AIDS, because we don't give enough economic aid?

Gee, maybe if we gave more money to the warlords in Sierra Leone, they'd stop chopping off hands and feet...

Because his glasses are stupid.

... and damn expensive. Christ, you could feed an entire country for what they cost.

Shvetz: dothemath: Bono can wring his hands all day but Western countries arent going to do anything more than what we have always done which is give just enough to shut people up. A strong united African continent is not in anyones best interest. The unspoken plan is to keep them hungry and fighting each other while we siphon off their natural resources.

Genius.

You are an idiot. We give plenty to African nations. You think the problem with Zimbabwe is that we aren't giving them economic aid? You think Thabo Mbeke thinks there's no connection between HIV and AIDS, because we don't give enough economic aid?

Gee, maybe if we gave more money to the warlords in Sierra Leone, they'd stop chopping off hands and feet...

Dont cry, use your head. Like me.

Now listen carefully. How hard do you think it would be for us to topple, or provide arms to an opposing faction of one of these two-bit dictators if we deemed it vital to "national security"?

And everybody knows that you get AIDS from rubbing your stuff on women who are posessed by the spirit Jojomankawanitoobabalojimbay.