Live 8 - will it make a difference?

I had a good talk with one zambian guy few weeks back.

He says their goverment is so corrupt and all resources are owned by rich international companies. These two keep eachother in power so situation is only going to be worse..not better. Rich ppl will get richer and poor ppl will die in malnutrition and diseases that could be easily treated. However, they can be extremely cheap workforce so those who have money in this country like to keep it that way. Also he said that colonialism is far from over it has just changed from state driven to company driven business. About live aid... he said it's another stupid effort to try to keep rich ppl's guilt away at same time as they continue to abuse the poor.

Obiviously he seemed to think we europeans are very much responsible for his homeland's miserable condition. That aid stuff is like robber would give penny back to beaten up guy after robbing his whole fortune...well you know...takes it as sort of insult. he went on telling something about US company buying diamonds with weapons...

Whatever... i don't know how much he is wrong or right or if blaming anyone helps. I haven't much followed what happens in africa. But well you know my views...so i just like to agree with him. Maybe im just a pessimist too.

He said he's going back to Zambia after collecting money here in finland (by cleaning trains) to get a good job (as a machine engineer). Pleople who have been in europe can get work there much easier...it's sort of status thing and he thought it makes no sense. Umm..then.. he said he was going to put up an orphanage to help atleast some of his ppl. (There is no social security as rich dont pay taxes..and goverment works only for them) I don't know this guy well..so hard to say if he meant the orphanage thing or not. Anyway i guess if he does that it will help more than live aid ever will.

 

Jaja, I agree here with the pessimistic ones. Let's face it, it's true, unfortunately

I know where my money is going, and it goes to my my pleasure on vacation. I'm a dog, and I know it.

 

now thats really frustrating.. because it makes sense..
anyway its a little tricky to blame rich.. especially in this guys country - most of them know what poverty is.. and as soon they had opportunity to change sth in their lives, they did it
too bad the easiest (only?) way in such environment is to abuse the poor ones
i guess after what they got through they dont want to change world, because they dont believe it can be changed and just want to avoid suffering
i guess if u ever were poor, then u will never feel rich enough to feel safe
not saying they can be justified or the richier countries can be justified, but thats just what ppl are
who could be mother teresa anyway? very few right?
anyway about treatin aid concerts as keepin guilt away from the rich ones - i dont think its any obstacle to change anything, and maybe there are few ppl who really tryin to do sth what they are able to do to make the difference
and this is enough to give it a try
imho, all ways should be checked, even the most silly ones

 

Agreed spuint. We have to at least try something. I just wish people would stop comparing this effort to the live aid effort in 1985. The aims couldnt be further apart this time round.

Unless people continue to put pressure on governments, the corporations who are effectively ruling these countries will continue to abuse the system, and the people. As a result of Live 8, the G8 are under more pressure than they have ever been to make changes. I dont for a second thing these changes will bring prosperity to Africa in itself, but I do believe they can be a catalyst. Since nothing else has happened to spur the G8 in to such action, Live 8 should be at least commended in this respect, imo.

 

I don't care...
If only they could evolve and/or build civilized society, where some other things than annihiliating tribe "a" by tribe "b" or fu... around with 20 woman making 100 children would be important...
Of course now it's our fault that everything in Africa is fu... up, people are dying of hunger, illnesses etc. - typical.
My father was living in Africa for some time (Republic of South Africa, Gabon, Ivory Coast) and had to deal with their mentality day by day...to the moment where some "civilized citizens" killed his friend.
I could tell you pretty much about them in their homeland...let them stay there and don't interfere...

PS. look what is happening to South Africa after Mandela's "victory" over apartheid...

 

The G8 has it's own problems to worry about:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g8/story/0,13365,1520619,00.html


Mal

 

that might be an idea
but problem is this is a huge market to flush obsolete weapons of modern, rearming armies

not to say about gold and diamonds resources exploited by european companies for hundreds of years

africa wont be let alone as long they have sth that may be interesting for rich countries
used to be slaves, resources, market for various products that nobody else wont buy

 

I bet if Madonna Sting ,Bono & the rest of the millionare artists would give 10% of their possesions ,that would make more money that the whole live 8 does....

 

I met a guy, some Christian Type. He was as black as night. Said he is from The Sud.
I gather he meant Sudan.
He said his "group" had purchased X kilotonnes of grain. He said they been trying for months to get it shipped but it just ain't workin' out.
He gave a list of beefs, the one foremost in my mind was the transport of the stuff once it got to port was to be OUT OF HIS GROUP'S HANDS....
The stuff, IF it got to port was to be transported and distributed BY THE AUTHORITIES.And cousins and uncles and other relatives of The Authorities.

 

Agreed jac, but the concert this time around was not about asking people to give, it was about bringing political pressure on the G8 to do something about unjust trade laws, etc.

 

In the eternal words of Sam Kinison"Why dont you moooove, you live in a fuckin desert.

 

What's that supposed to mean, if I may ask? Are you suggesting all folks having the misfortune of living in the 3rd world should just move somewhere else?

 

Political pressure? With some bad rappers and off-key Grammy buffoons?

 

@ Oh ...didn't know that ...Thought it was like live aid ..but any how ..even with those 3 artists fortune one could save 1 african country or bout 1M kids from starwing to death prolly.

Imo the dilemma of Punk & Rap ( & all that sht) music is that no-one who SHOULD listen to it won't.Only powerless pissed-off teenagers do.. (like me)

Put Celine Dion and Pavarotti sing some political/punk lyrics ...would that make a difference?

 

Come to think of it, just pushing Celine Dion over a cliff would make this world a much better place to raise one's children in!

 

ROFL!

...with her entire shoe collection, ehhehehe.

 

@ burnr: Fuck you and Sam Kinnison, whoever the racist bastard is


@ Kutya: No bad rappers at the concert here in the UK. Pink Floyd reforming was monumental though, they were just as good as they always were despite the all too short set. As a lover of all things Floyd, the concert was worth it for that alone


@ Jac: Yeah they could. Easily. Three times over probably. But if they gave their money, where would it go? While our big corporations are over there raping and pillaging it and forcing slave conditions on the populace, as well as supporting evil and corrupt regimes, then something has to be done.


When will the US start a fuckin war on those heathen bastards, since most of them belong over there?

 

That reminded me ...I once saw a live concert of Tom Petty (yea ,I know! ) ...Well he was playing a song and finished it.Then he started mumbling like... "someone told me that I should make a song about titanic...." Then he took he's guitar ,strum a chord and sang : "Titaniiiiic ,Celine Dion shoulda be on iiiit.."

 

Ol' Kinnison is toast. He was a crazy comedian. I must admit that I never liked his material. He was killed in a car wreck somehwere between LA and Vegas, I think.

 

Justice, eh?

@ Jac: lol I like Tom Petty He was part of the Travelling Wilbury's, was he not?