(02-28-2003) Blair sincerely wrong says Bono - Ananova

[HelloAngel]

http://www.ananova.com/

Blair sincerely wrong says Bono

Tony Blair is sincere in his position on Iraq, "but sincerely wrong", says Bono.

Speaking after receiving the insignia of a Knight of the Legion of Honour in Paris from French President Jacques Chirac, Bono said: "In my opinion Tony Blair is a great politician. His convictions about Iraq are sincere, but for me he is sincerely wrong."

Bono added that it would be a mistake to make a martyr of Saddam Hussein through the use of force.

"He's good at propaganda. Let's not make it easier for him," said the U2 lead singer.


Story filed: 15:09 Friday 28th February 2003

 

[rherr]

Hey Bono Stick to Aiding Africa. Saddam Hussein is a dictator and kills his own people and must be stopped. I don't want a war as much as anyone but he is not compling to the UN resolutions. Look just make music and leave the politics to the politicians.

 

[verte76]

I'm not so sure a war in Iraq is necessarily going to take Saddam out of power. How in the hell are they going to deal with his Republican Guard elite and take him out? Just because Politician X tells me something doesn't make me believe it. I don't like these war plans.

 

[corner]

There'll be plenty of others to rise and take Saddam Hussains place even if someone "takes him out". P.S. Doesn't Bono look really old/tired in the photo above?

 

[TheRealThang_101]

his aging has been pretty tough on him

 

[carey02]

He needs to do something with his hair. I don't know what though.

 

[cujo]

Politics and hair... you guys would fit right in the Free Your Mind forum.

 

[rherr]

Cujo your right but the article was about the war not his hair. I am just sick of all the ENTERTAINERS of the world taking a political stance. I don't mind if they stand up for a worthy cause(Debt relief, Jubilee2000, Aids in Africa) Thats all good and well. But when the start showing there political views on stage or in the media it bothers me. I don't want War at all but somtimes you have to take military action and somtimes innocent (civillian lives are lost. The US lost over 3,000 civillians on Sept. 11 2001. We need to stop terrorism. These entertainers don't look at the big picture at all the take a stance so the can get their faces in the paper and hopfully sell more tickets. The big picture is the government only lets you know what they want you to know. Because if they actually told us what was really going on the world would go nuts (go back to the Cuban missle crisis). Like I said. In times like these you have to back your leaders and let them be leaders.

 

[verte76]

I don't know, rherr, I think Bono was under alot of pressure to say something about Iraq. He didn't for a long time. When he was here in December for the DATA thing, he mentioned Iraq but gave no opinion either pro or con a war. There were reports in the press that he was under pressure to take some position on Iraq. I think he stated his opinion in a very civil and rational manner. It's not like he called Bush or Blair a or whatever. There was no way in hell he could not make some sort of statement. I think it's OK for celebrities to have opinions; you don't have to agree with them.

 

[sue4u2]

It has to be difficult to juggle all those balls in the air at one time. Bono wants the aids initiative to go through and yet has to hold back on what he really thinks. He really does have to hold back since we all know how he loves to express his what he really feels. On that same note, quite a bit of what he says gets taken out of context and the tape is usually edited before the point he wanted to make is out of his mouth. I saw this on a French report that cut the tape off before he finished what he was saying concerning the Tony Blair issue. The remark itself was not as inflammatory as it was made out to be. He really has to be careful what is said since there are so many politicians and reporters that live to bring down good people. He will speak his mind but in a way that does't hurt the very causes he has worked so hard to get pushed forward.
************
Reports all over the news, have the al qaeda master mind, Khalid Mohammed, behind the 911 WTC bombings, has been arrested in Pakistan. Reportedly he was second only to bin laden on the worlds most wanted list. One less man to worry about.

 

[mystery girl]

Bono looks great. The way his hair is just makes him look so sweet. When someone has obviously spent time trying to make their hair look a certain way, that is so not cute...to me!

 

[Michael Griffiths]

But when the start showing there political views on stage or in the media it bothers me. I don't want War at all but somtimes you have to take military action and somtimes innocent (civillian lives are lost. The US lost over 3,000 civillians on Sept. 11 2001. We need to stop terrorism. These entertainers don't look at the big picture at all the take a stance so the can get their faces in the paper and hopfully sell more tickets. The big picture is the government only lets you know what they want you to know. Because if they actually told us what was really going on the world would go nuts (go back to the Cuban missle crisis). Like I said. In times like these you have to back your leaders and let them be leaders.

Okay, a few points:

1) I find it interesting that people don't mind loss of civilian life when it doesn't affect them.

2) I find it increasingly odd that people are tying this Iraq initiative to the war on terror. Saddam Hussein is NOT a Muslim fundamentalist, nor is he religious at all. Bin Laden, in fact, recently called him an infidel on a recent tape. If anything, Al Quada would want to take Saddam out themselves. But if America does it, Bin Ladden would be ecstatic, as two birds with one stone would be killed: ONE, Saddam the infidel would be disposed of and TWO, you would have all the Muslim extremists in the world angry with the US for loss of civilian Muslim life. Bin Laden is rubbing his hands as I type, no doubt.

3) If an entertainer is well educated on a political topic (as Bono I'm sure is), why shouldn't they speak their mind? If it's okay for some opinionated, biased journalist on CNN to speak his mind, why not for an educated entertainer? Just because he entertains for a living, that doesn't devalidate what he has to say. That sounds more like discrimination to me.

4) Do you really, honestly believe that Bono is standing up for what he believes in because he wants to sell more tickets? Are you serious??? If anything, he would be losing sales by taking such a stance! To come out and say something like that is a very bad business move, and that just shows you what conviction the man has. Secondly, do you really think Bono needs to get his "face in the paper" any more than it already has been the past few months? I hardly think Bono would try and get even more publicity. He's been publicised to death as it is -- from all the work he's been dedicating to debt relief to all the awards and honours he's been receiving for his efforts.

So come on!! Dig a little deeper next time! You have every right to your opinion, but in my opinion, there is more thought needed here.

BTW -- if it bothers you so much when entertainers show their political views on stage, how did you ever manage to suffer through a U2 concert? You must have really hated the WAR era!

 

[rherr]

)I find it interesting that people don't mind loss of civilian life when it doesn't affect them.

And my statement was I don't want war. I would love for there to be peace but Saddam is hiding Biological and Chemical weapons weapons which he has used on his own people. He has not listened to UN resolutions and has to be stopped. I also said civillian casualties sometimes are a price to pay.


) I find it increasingly odd that people are tying this Iraq initiative to the war on terror. Saddam Hussein is NOT a Muslim fundamentalist, nor is he religious at all. Bin Laden, in fact, recently called him an infidel on a recent tape. If anything, Al Quada would want to take Saddam out themselves. But if America does it, Bin Ladden would be ecstatic, as two birds with one stone would be killed: ONE, Saddam the infidel would be disposed of and TWO, you would have all the Muslim extremists in the world angry with the US for loss of civilian Muslim life. Bin Laden is rubbing his hands as I type, no doubt.

What!! It has been proven that Saddam has funded terror acts and he kills his own people so that right there makes the him a terrorist. Actually I don't care what Bin Laden thinks I want both guys wiped of the face of the Earth.


If an entertainer is well educated on a political topic (as Bono I'm sure is), why shouldn't they speak their mind? If it's okay for some opinionated, biased journalist on CNN to speak his mind, why not for an educated entertainer? Just because he entertains for a living, that doesn't devalidate what he has to say. That sounds more like discrimination to me.

Bono is very intelligent and can voice his own opinion about a cause. I just did not like him saying that Tony Blair is wrong. And actually Bono was has not pissed me off as much as the American entertainers that are protesting military action in Iraq. And thats who I was refering to trying to sell more tickets. I should have made that clerer.

So come on!! Dig a little deeper next time! You have every right to your opinion, but in my opinion, there is more thought needed here.

What do I have to dig deeper for I think entertainers educated or not educated should keep there mouths shut !! I want peace to but we cannot have peace with a Man like Saddam
Hussein controlling Iraq. And when these entertainers protest they don't have a plan the just say we should not attack Iraq. Well come up with an other solution the UN is on its 13 resolution and Iraq still has not complied.

As far as U2 and politics is at a concert he can talk about the problems of his country between Northern Ireland and Ireland all he wants topics I am sure he knows very well but don't protest my country.

The WAR era really did not bother me that much considering my political views at age 11 wear not really formed.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

1) If Saddam is hiding those weapons, where is the proof?

2) Again, if Saddam is tied to Al Quada, where is the proof?

3) I find it interesting that people like to hear what Bono has to say on varoius political issues ony if they agree with him.

4) On your opinion that Bono should only speak on matters to do with his own country: This is to do with his own country. This is to do with every country in the world. Every country is directly affected by this war. Therefore, every person in every country should have a right to voice their opinion about it. It directly affects them.

5) Whether you were old enough to appreciate it or not during the WAR era, surely you would have had issues surrounding Bono's political rants on songs such as 'Bullet The Blue Sky' (a direct shot at the Reagan administration), and many other on stage political rants about other countries other than his own?

 

[oktobergirl]

Bono has just as much right to say what he thinks about IRAQ as any one of us. If he wants to say Tony Blair is wrong, let him say it.

I personally think George Bush is sincererly wrong, and Blair is his puppet.

I like Tony Blair of what I know of his stance on some other issues, but in this case, I think he has no choice to but stand behind the USA ( politically and economically). I don't agree with it but I can understand it.

 

[ziggytwo]

I agree with Oktobergirl and Michael! Bush is bent on vengeance and at the sake of the economic future of the US. Yes, the world would be better off without Saddam Hussein, but who are we to take him out without provocation? Maybe this explains why Bush's approval rating is down to 33% as of today! The US populus is getting tired of all the "terrorism" talk and no action on the home front.

 

[carey02]

Politics and hair... you guys would fit right in the Free Your Mind forum.

Hey, I just mean't he needs to trim it a little. Maybe it was the wind. Just my opinion.