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Geldof on Bush

By lex, on February 28th, 2008

An interesting read.

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February 28th, 2008 | Tags: | Category: Uncategorized

8 comments to Geldof on Bush

  • SSG Jeff (USAR)
    February 28, 2008 at 4:57 pm

    Very interesting – I’d heard that Geldorf had been chewing out the press for ignoring this stuff.

  • Tom G.
    February 28, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    Must’nt find out GW’s a man…be much too hard to demonize.

  • Fast Nav
    February 28, 2008 at 6:24 pm

    It just goes to show that, at the end of the day, no matter who the president is, he’s just a man desperately trying to do what he thinks is right in the world.

    Just like the rest of us.

  • Jimmy J.
    February 28, 2008 at 9:26 pm

    I’ve been to Kenya and Tanzania.
    Fantastic countries. Awesome wildlife and good people, but poverty and misery that turns your stomach.

    I discovered while I was there that the problem is that the governments are Kleptocracies. Ostensibly democracies, but they are set up to benefit those in the government.

    When Kenya got its independence the infrastructure was in good shape and the country could have been very successful, but the infrastructure has slowly crumbled and the people have sunk further into poverty every year. All because the kleptocrats strangle any successful enterprise and put nothing into the infrastructure.

    The kleptocrats control the economy almost like Communist commisars.

    Bono, Geldof, and even President Bush see the misery and want to do something. But sending aid is just putting a band aid on a huge running sore. Saving more people from malaria and AIDS only creates more unemployed people. That sounds heartless but it is true.

    The answer for Africa is government reform. How do you do that? Well, I think the G-8 should go to a country like Kenya and say, we are going to give you favored nation status and free trade, but only if you reform your government. Try to get them to change and start putting people to work fixing the infrastructure, reforming agriculture, starting small manufacturing plants, building up the tourist industry, and other such steps. Get the government to quit stifling initiative and get out of the way of the people. If Kenya could get its act together it might be an example to other African countries.

    Without government reform in Africa the West can donate billions in aid and it will just disappear as into a black hole.

  • Ron Snyder
    February 29, 2008 at 4:11 am

    Agree with the critical need for government reform. Without that fundamental change, you are only making yourself feel good by given money to “African” causes.

  • Kris, in New England
    February 29, 2008 at 7:53 am

    I like this, when the conversation threatens to veer into Iraq territory:

    …I don’t want to go there. I have my views and they’re at odds with his, and I don’t want to spoil the interview or be rude in the face of his hospitality….

    Would that others could be so gracious. Who’d have thought that a former Boomtown Rat would be getting a 1:1 meeting with the President of “the world”.

  • scott
    February 29, 2008 at 6:28 pm

    interesting perspective from a “celebrity”, thanks for the link

  • RonF
    March 4, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    Sending aid to African countries can be effective to a certain degree if you bypass the government channels and distribute it directly to the people. But even that’s palliative; the problem is not one of resources, it’s one of governance.

    Kleptocracy is good. But I like oligarchy better.
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