MERGED --> Enough Rope interview discussion here + November it is!!

[swirling_eddy]

McCallef Tonight!

 

[angelordevil]

A lot. Name one Australian show that has come even close to, say, Letterman.

I love Letterman. When I was going to high school, I'd set my tape machine up to record the audio of the show to play in my walkman the next day. Pretty weird, huh? It comes on very late here...1 a.m.

I take back what I said about the Rope show (although I can't get the image of death-by-hanging out of my mind). It seems pretty irreverent and compelling, maybe a bit like a show we have here in Canada, called "The Hour."

 

[U2Girl1978]

Um... Ok???


Bono in Sydney,

First of all Bono is a solo act when it comes to debt relief. Sure he gets help from people but he's not in any political minded group. You seem to be misinformed in what he is doing.

Secondly,

Are you upset that Bono didn't invite you to have coffee with him?

 

[swirling_eddy]

since when is Bono raising money?

What about Red?

 

[ruffian]

Ruffian – thanks for coming on here and being really nice?? You are a Ruffian. What is Debt?? It is Money? If you relinquish money/debt, You then can’t pay off somebody else. Don’t ever get into the bad habit of thinking money isn’t debt else you will blow your own Visa bill and someone will come and repossess that 102cm LCD Colour TV you are watching the U2 Chicago DVD on tonight.

I'm merely commenting on the fact that there are some lapses in your logic. To suggest that Bono is a "front" for an organization trying to "raise money" is to mischaracterize debt relief initiatives. you stated people "behind him" are making decisions about how money is distributed--perhaps how emergency funding for aids relief might be distributed but not how third world economies will be restructured as a result of Bono's initiatives.

 

[Bono in Sydney]

Bono has people and if you don't think Bono has people, you are pretty niave.

I have seen Bono's people in action.

Tom Cruise has people, John Travolta has people. Joan Fonda had people. Even Billy Connolly had people.

I am not saying things are good or bad. All I am saying is that like most magicians, it is not always as obvious or easy to see as you would think.

I would have liked to have coffee with Bono but Bono's people even intimidated Andrew Denton.

 

[ruffian]

What about Red?

Maybe Red is loosely associated with raising money, but it seems that the companies joining Red are donating to charities, so in effect, *they* are raising the money.

I believe that Bono_In_Sydney was referring to the broadcast in which Bono was discussing debt relief, so I was commenting on the inappropriateness of likening those initiatives to "fronting" an organization that seeks to raise money.

 

[ruffian]

I would have liked to have coffee with Bono but Bono's people even intimidated Andrew Denton.

*backs away slowly from this conversation*

 

[U2Girl1978]

Bono has people and if you don't think Bono has people, you are pretty niave.

I have seen Bono's people in action.

Tom Cruise has people, John Travolta has people. Joan Fonda had people. Even Billy Connolly had people.

I am not saying things are good or bad. All I am saying is that like most magicians, it is not always as obvious or easy to see as you would think.

I would have liked to have coffee with Bono but Bono's people even intimidated Andrew Denton.

Wow.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Not quite sure if you have the intelligence to understand but I will try.

Good lord. You're not fooling anyone.

 

[Bono in Sydney]

My point is yes, Debt Relief is good. It is a bloody brilliant idea. I am all for it. But it is the last step in the process not the first.

Until African infrastructure is in place to support the people and African governments make their people a priority, the problem of starvation in Africa can’t be solved.

Until tariffs around the world are rescinded so African crops can be competitive on the world market and we become one world rather than a number of nations acting on a silo mentality, debt relief for Africa wont work.

 

[ultravioletluvv]

Funny you should say that. Not that I disagree with you; just that every other U2 message board I've been to today has said the same thing--"OMG, Bono must come here and read our posts!"

well then.... Bono, i you!

 

[evieangelique]

My point is yes, Debt Relief is good. It is a bloody brilliant idea. I am all for it. But it is the last step in the process not the first.

Until African infrastructure is in place to support the people and African governments make their people a priority, the problem of starvation in Africa can’t be solved.

Until tariffs around the world are rescinded so African crops can be competitive on the world market and we become one world rather than a number of nations acting on a silo mentality, debt relief for Africa wont work.

Wow.

Call me naieve, but I would think you're trying to force a flamewar about this?

People have strong views either way about the issue of debt relief, but unless you were too busy stewing that you didn't get invited out to coffee with Bono, I reiterate that your argument sounds like you didn't even bother to watch the interview.

 

[cg]

My point is yes, Debt Relief is good. It is a bloody brilliant idea. I am all for it. But it is the last step in the process not the first.

Until African infrastructure is in place to support the people and African governments make their people a priority, the problem of starvation in Africa can’t be solved.

Until tariffs around the world are rescinded so African crops can be competitive on the world market and we become one world rather than a number of nations acting on a silo mentality, debt relief for Africa wont work.

debt relief came first because it was do-able.
trade issues are a much harder sell, but of course you know bono is working on that - you did see "his people" after all.

 

[tryan101]

Every time I read "Enough Rope" it reminds me of last night's Soprano's

 

[swirling_eddy]

Until African infrastructure is in place to support the people and African governments make their people a priority, the problem of starvation in Africa can’t be solved.

Until tariffs around the world are rescinded so African crops can be competitive on the world market and we become one world rather than a number of nations acting on a silo mentality, debt relief for Africa wont work.

If it's just Jubilee and Drop The Debt nothing will change in Africa. In the main, the governments need to change, whether it's new people or a new outlook. Mugabe is a great example, he MUST go before things start changing in Zimbabwe.

 

[ruffian]

Every time I read "Enough Rope" it reminds me of last night's Soprano's

i know! wasn't that the WORST? i knew he was gonna do it as soon as he started picking up all those seashells...it was downhill from there...

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Every time I read "Enough Rope" it reminds me of last night's Soprano's

Ok, stop talking right there. You are in a thread mainly inhabited by Australians, for whom the next series of Sopranos doesn't start for another couple of months. - you have been warned.

 

[ruffian]

If it's just Jubilee and Drop The Debt nothing will change in Africa. In the main, the governments need to change, whether it's new people or a new outlook. Mugabe is a great example, he MUST go before things start changing in Zimbabwe.

Yep, and that's the crux of the issue--making sure that corruption (a colonial legacy) doesn't stand in the way of getting resources where they need to go. Thus the utility of NGO's who can help channel money. Mexico has had great success with targeting debt relief money directly to education initiatives...so it can be done. But Africa has had a difficult road and it will be a long process, but I think global involvement is happening, though slowly. making anti-retroviral AIDS drugs available will also be a huge step, and that campaign is as important as debt relief, in my mind.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

i know! wasn't that the WORST? i knew he was gonna do it as soon as he started picking up all those seashells...it was downhill from there...

YOU TOO!

 

[DignityPassesBy]

My point is yes, Debt Relief is good. It is a bloody brilliant idea. I am all for it. But it is the last step in the process not the first.

Until African infrastructure is in place to support the people and African governments make their people a priority, the problem of starvation in Africa can’t be solved.

Until tariffs around the world are rescinded so African crops can be competitive on the world market and we become one world rather than a number of nations acting on a silo mentality, debt relief for Africa wont work.

how can a country build infrastructure if they have no money because of debt

 

[ruffian]

Ok, stop talking right there. You are in a thread mainly inhabited by Australians, for whom the next series of Sopranos doesn't start for another couple of months. - you have been warned.

oh no! i'm SO sorry...didn't realize you don't have it yet.

We made all that up, anyway.

 

[tryan101]

Ok, stop talking right there. You are in a thread mainly inhabited by Australians, for whom the next series of Sopranos doesn't start for another couple of months. - you have been warned.

that should be some effort to avoid the internet discussion - but I won't tell. good luck!

 

[DignityPassesBy]

The Soprano's suck that show shits me to tears

 

[love2bmama]

So many causes, so little money.

That is the World’s problem.

that's actually exactly NOT the problem. There is the money, it just has to get to the right people/be spent on the right things. That's what's so maddening about the whole thing, and what Bono has said over and over (and over and over)...that there's no excuse for it, no reason for people to be dying of extreme poverty today in a world where there IS the money to stop it.

 

[Bono in Sydney]

The point of the matter is, that the debt relief will NOT go to infrastructure while corrupt Governments are still in power. They will use it on themselves and get back into the same levels of Debt as what they were before the relief. So therefore you will need to go through the process of debt relief again without any of it being used on the oppressed people who are suffering. It is a vicious circle. Until you topple the Government.

This is the difference between The Edge’s argument v Bonos.

Until you have the Governments toppled, Debt relief does not help because the money will not be used on Infrastructure, it will be used on lining the pockets of the people in power.

 

[love2bmama]

Bless your gypsy heart and may the U2 family be safe. Come back when you can....Australia loves U2

oh, that is so sweet, seriously.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

This is the difference between The Edge’s argument v Bonos.

The Edge's "Cancel Debt Relief" t-shirt makes so much more sense now.

 

[love2bmama]

I would have liked to have coffee with Bono but Bono's people even intimidated Andrew Denton.

are you sure it's not because you called him Paul and pissed him off?

Really, though, what do you mean they intimidated even Denton? They threatened he'd swim with the fishes if he didn't behave?

 

[biff]

This is the difference between The Edge’s argument v Bonos.

This is the difference between a sane argument and yours:

You are nuts.

(PS. Say "Hi" to Paul!)