There are few more depressing aspects of the celebrity culture that engulfs us than the grotesque habit which celebs have developed of clutching the suffering of the world to their bejewelled bosoms. If they are really interested in using their celebrity to further good causes, as Virginia McKenna has done for wildlife conservation, that is admirable, but all too often we feel that the poor and the downtrodden are just being used to boost careers which are in various stages of detumescence. When the cameras stop rolling, the smiles fade and the celebs go back to their air-conditioned limos, hoping to get out of the world’s hellholes as quickly as possible.
It was with a sinking heart, therefore, that I read of the plan to resurrect the Live Aid phenomenon twenty years on. This time it is to be called Live 8, as the inntention is to tie it in with the G8 summit in Edinburgh, and that most absurd of all campaigns, the hubristic Make Poverty History.
Of course, we would all like to have less poverty in the world, and you don’t have to be a genius to see how that could be achieved. We need to have more capitalism. Capitalism is the system which, for the first time in the history of humanity, took human societies way above subsistence level and made them rich – rich beyond the dreams of avarice, as Dr Johnson used to say. The world is now divided into those countries which have capitalist economies and trade in the global market, which are rich, and those which don’t, which aren’t. If the countries of sub-Saharan Africa would deal with their tyrannical regimes, sort out their endemic corruption, and learn to work hard producing goods and services the rest of the world wants to buy, they would progress as rapidly as the countries of South East Asia have done since the Second World War.
This is just about the last thing you will hear from the egregious Chris Martin of Coldplay, or even the Spice Girls for that matter. (I hate to alarm you, but they are intending to re-form for Live 8.) The answer, according to our celebrati, is to give African countries more of our money. As if they haven’t wasted enough of it already. It is one of the most depressing facts known to economists that the countries which have received most by way of foreign aid have the worst record of economic progress – or lack of it – coupled with brutal regimes and abuses of human rights. The countries which have received little or nothing by way of aid, like Hong Kong and Singapore, have shot ahead, to the extent that lobby groups in the West sometimes call for barriers to be erected to protect our own producers against their ‘unfair competition’. If only we could experience some competition, fair or otherwise, from any sub-Saharan African country!
And let’s not blame the celebs exclusively. They are only following in the footsteps of older and wiser people who ought to know better, like academics and church leaders, who just talk nonsense about the whole issue. This is particularly depressing in the case of the Catholic church, the world’s biggest association, with branches in just about every country and an unrivalled network of social welfare agencies. The Bishops really ought to know better.
We now know that the unprecedented outpouring of billions of dollars for victims of the tsunami has made little impact. The government of Sri Lanka is delaying everything with its interminable bureaucracy, and the Irish Sri Lanka Trust Fund is threatening to withdraw altogether after receiving a £300,000 VAT bill for 890 engines to be fitted to boats. Local contractors are charging exhorbitant prices to do anything, knowing that the rich Westerners won’t care; and, to do them justice, the aid charities have done their best to keep the nastiness of the situation from us for as long as possible.
So I, for one, won’t be tuning in come July to hear Saint Bob Geldof telling us to give him our ****ing money because people are ****ing starving. I think it’s time we paid Africans the compliment of assuming they can run their own countries without the assistance of people in the music industry, playing on the goodwill and gullibility of hordes of people who have never really thought about the issue at all.
Comments (9)
Speaking as a young adult who earns the minimum wage, I'd like to add my comments to this intriguing page.
I'd rather some of the money I earnt went to do something for people who can't afford to eat than on the next cd I was hoping to buy, for a start.
Secondly, I think it's fantastic that my younger brother and his 12 year old friends are having these issues triggered off in their minds. The amount of awareness about people other than those in our own country, has grown considerably during 2005 amongst young people.
And lastly, Bono and Bob Geldof, amongst others who stick to their goals and at least have a go at achieving them, have inspired me to travel to Madagascar in April to take part in a project working with people to help them get a sustainable lifestyle which means that their children have more of a chance in life.
I may have done this without all the attention the Make Poverty History Campaign has created, but I think it's unlikely I would have stopped my busy life long enough to think about it.
So I'd personally like to thank them - it may help their chances of knighthood (although rumor has it that Bono turned down the opportunity), and it may seem hypocritical to some - but I can't say I've done anything better to help the people of Africa, and until I have, I shan't criticise those that try.
Posted by Rachel | January 4, 2006 12:11 AM
Posted on January 4, 2006 00:11
I can't believe you actually believe that rubbish you're writing. Poverty can be wiped out by dropping the debts, more and better aid and trade justice. And fyi, Geldof won't be asking people for money, this time it's awareness. Get your facts right before you go ranting. Check these out first
www.maketradefair.com
www.makepovertyhistory.com
www.fairtrade.org
Posted by Anonymous | June 3, 2005 5:40 PM
Posted on June 3, 2005 17:40
There's something vaguely repellant about being preached at to "do something" by multi-millionaire pop-stars who otherwise seem to preach to our kids about fulfilling their baser desires.
Every time Bono takes to the skies in his private jet spewing out the same pollution as a car does each year in order to fly to a save the blah blah concert it just makes me sick.
They have been talking about this for twenty years. For twenty years generations of kids have got fired up on the issue only to have their idealism smashed on the shoals of reality. Even Tony Blair, in his endless meet and greets with celebrities vacuously preaches on the issue and then does nothing.
It may just be cynicism, but the whole thing smells hypocritical, it smells pointless, it smells just like another tedious celebrity ego stroking exercise so that Saints Bob and Bono can scream at people on minimum wage to "just do something" and then get back into their Bentley's and go eat Lobster with Tony Blair and say "gee - a'int it awful?"
Posted by Chas | June 2, 2005 4:10 PM
Posted on June 2, 2005 16:10
Next to the materialism and hedonism of most popular culture, we should welcome Geldof's attempts to raise awareness of poverty in Africa.
I find it disheartening that such sneering cynicism should pervade otherwise sensible websites such as this.
Rather than bemoan the heroic efforts of a small few, why not proffer a few alternate solutions. For instance; abolish the CAP, pressure Mbeki to stand up to Mugabe, and to accept the link between HIV and AIDS.
I dont necessarily agree with the solutions offered by the Make Poverty History campaign but young people are talking about it and debating it.
Now that is encouraging.
Posted by pommygranate | June 1, 2005 4:37 PM
Posted on June 1, 2005 16:37
I think that the way that celebs are now the main beneficiaries of the honours system actively encourages the poor souls to take part in these tranzi jamborees
Posted by William Robbies | June 1, 2005 2:13 PM
Posted on June 1, 2005 14:13
What Africa needs is good Government that isn't tribal based, corrupt and self serving. Pouring more money and equipment into the place is like pouring water into sand IMHO.
I've read various reports (both published and privately circulated) that say in essence that the first Live Aid campaign did a lot to put very firm and well rooted foundations in place for the current wave of unrest in the Ethiopian area.
This largesse resulted in various unexpected consequences such as insisting foreign aid workers be paid in the local currency at a ruinous exchange rate thereby allowing the build up of a splendid fund of US Dollars to purchase newer, better and more extensive armaments. Political interference was allowed which resulted in a large percentage of the food to be diverted to feed an Army in training and allowing trucks, 4x4 vehicles and other equipment (tents, medicines, blankets etc. etc, ad infinitum) to be "acquired" which were then used to equip and sustain a large field army. And guess what this well fed, well equipped, well financed, well indoctrinated and mobile Army is doing in Darfour right now?
If the politically correct and emotional people would face up to past history, two conclusions would come to the fore - supply guns, not aid to the population so they can sort out their own government (see this link ... http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/may30_2005.html#link1) and given the current Utopia which is Modern Africa, was Colonialism and apaetheid (which was gradually weakening the tribal mentality of the people) genuinely such a bad thing?
Or will we continue to make matters worse by repeating past mistakes just so we can feel the warm glow of having "done F***ing something"?
Posted by PhilB | June 1, 2005 11:38 AM
Posted on June 1, 2005 11:38
No comment necessary. This entry says it all. Saint Bob's last attempt to help the starving made matters worse. I hate tot hink what will be the result of the latest do-gooders' deeds.
Posted by Robert G Heath | June 1, 2005 10:02 AM
Posted on June 1, 2005 10:02
Thank god SOMEONE's talking sense on this issue!
Posted by Anonymous | June 1, 2005 10:01 AM
Posted on June 1, 2005 10:01
The small percentage of the cash collected which finally reaches the third world poor and starving will have an effect ranging from zero to maybe providing some relief for a few months. After which it will be business as usual.
Would the money not be better spent buying a few gun boats, and restoring colonial administrations?
Posted by John East | May 31, 2005 5:36 PM
Posted on May 31, 2005 17:36