Any Canadians see Rex Murphy's commentary tonight on Bono on The National?

[The Slow Loris]

Rex Murphy seems to have an obsession with Bono. This time the usual stuff about Bono being a hypocrite because he took part of the U2 business empire out of Ireland to pay less taxes. His argument being that Bono is lecturing the rest of the world to send their tax dollars to Africa, while he avoids paying tax, himself. I suppose, then, Mr. Murphy would rather Bono not do the important work he's doing to help Africa out than be a hyprocrite? How ridiculous is that? Hypocrite or no hypocrite, at least he's doing something no other person is doing right now in terms of the scope and leverage he is attaining in his mission to help Africa.

Anyway, Rex Murphy basically ended with the story of Madonna adopting an African baby, and how Bono should adopt Madonna, since "the two deserve each other" or some such nonsense. The transcript of Rex Murphy's commentary isn't up yet, but you can find the entire video of The National with Peter Mansbridge on their website:

http://www.cbc.ca/national/

Rex Murphy's commentary is found near the end if I remember. They ask for viewer feedback, so feel free to write them your comments!

I found a very well written and rather funny article that another journalist wrote about Rex Murphy's fascination with slamming Bono at this site:

http://www.dangardner.ca/Coljun2106.html

 

[The Slow Loris]

Oh yes, comments can be sent to this email address:

national@cbc.ca

 

[Nuala]

That was a great article! Thanks for sharing it!

 

[silvrlvr]

This is it, from the CBC web site. Just remember that this is Rex Murphy's schtick. He's a curmudgeon of the first rank. And the Canadians were not happy when Bono took off after Paul Martin.

Lecture us no more, Mr. Bono

Oct. 17, 2006

It's nice to see that Madonna has come down from her neon cross -- a Las Vegas-looking crucifixion of the emphatically Material Girl was part of the safe shock of her recent tour.

After all, if you can't blaspheme Christianity these days, what can you blaspheme?

Now she's descended on Africa, following the trendy spangled footsteps of Brad and Angelina and other monstrously rich celebrities who have turned Africa and its misery into their own publicity-fat conscience theme park. They should start a foundation.

Good deeds that make it to "Entertainment Tonight", adoptions that land you the cover of people magazine.

Madonna and her entourage and her private jet and Guy Ritchie have plucked one African baby from an orphanage and the world is all a-whistle at another celebrity good deed.

The story is almost big enough to drown out the news that U2, the famous Irish band, has moved some of its assets from Ireland to the Netherlands. The Netherlands has a very favourable tax rate, even better than Ireland, which for artists is already a tax haven of unimaginable indulgence. U2 is of course Bono's band, Bono, the Stephen Forbes business partner and the greatest scold of "rich" governments on the face of the earth. Bono was the man who nagged Paul Martin in public for Canada's not giving enough for African debt relief, but then Bono, friend of Bill Clinton, consort of the princes of the world, World Economic Forum attendee, gazillionaire, nags everyone about Africa.

He even read the riot act of Liberal outrage to his own government because the Irish government, like Canada, was slack on debt relief for Africa. Uriah Heap with groupies. Bono and his multimillionaire band-mates have hauled their songwriting business out of Ireland because Ireland has modestly upped the tax levy on artists making over half a million a year. So he wants Ireland to give more of its taxes to help poor Africa, but he, Bono, wants to pay less taxes to Ireland.

I'd call him a "whited sepulchre" except that's a biblical reference, and Madonna would probably claim copyright.

Bono had no hesitation at a concert here last year around election time tagging Paul Martin, his friend, for not living up to the pledge Martin made to increase Canada's foreign aid.

Bono said he was crushed. Well, I guess the "Make Poverty History" front-man has less trouble with inconsistency and hypocrisy when it's his bank account and his band-mates' bank accounts that actually take the hit.

Yet Bono's been shining his rock star celebrity halo so assiduously in public that you'd think he was a cross between Mother Theresa and Cardinal Leger.

This guy has been lecturing whole continents for decades — he's the self-declared pope of poverty — about Africa, but now hauls part of his empire from his home country to Amsterdam. Lecture us no more, Mr. Bono. A tax haven is not a pulpit. Amsterdam is not an African village. However, all is not lost. Maybe Bono will adopt someone. Let us pray, let us all pray it's Madonna. They deserve each other. For "The National", I'm Rex Murphy.

 

[angelordevil]

Rex has had a problem with Bono wayyy before this tax story. I just wrote a feedback letter. It'll be interesting to see if they air it on tonight's broadcast.