Bush will help Bono

[bostonmike4444]

With people like Michael Stipe of REM and Bruce Springsteen taking up arms against a popular president like George Bush, Bono played it smart and tried to appeal to both US parties. After Bush's major election win (more Americans voted for Bush than any other president in US history yesterday) instead of being shunned aside by the US administration, Bono still has somewhat of a "friend" in the White House which should be very good for his Africa initiatives. Bono is a true leader and extremely smart to not attack and smear Bush like so many of his classless, ignorant, and out-of-touch-with-America musicians. I predict in his second term, Bush will do even more to alleviate the AIDS crisis and will be willing to listen to more of what Bono has to say. This is a great day in US history and I'm glad Bono never turned himself into a fanatical, angry anti-Bush yahoo like so many other great celebrities. (shouldn't this all be a different thread? Something about Bono's work in Africa? This all seems like misplaced discussion to me)

Viva Bush!

 

[Rono]

Only friends with people who can kiss up butts ?

I hope Bush will be smarter than this.

 

[BVS]

So anyone who was against Bush is classless, ignorant, and out-of-touch-with-America? That's classless and ignorant.

Bush hasn't done shit so far for Africa. Funding has come up for vote already once and not even one of Bush's party voted for it. He must pushing them hard...

 

[bostonmike4444]

Stop bitching, work together

Bush is not a dictator, he is a president. He offered a tripling of aid to Africa after meeting with Bono. He stunned the nation with his AIDS talk during his Sate of the Union speech last January. He made an extraordinary effort to reach out to Africa and the crisis. Nobody gives him credit because it's unpopular among uneducated youngsters and fools to give Bush credit for anything. But Bono did give him credit, and thanked him by staying on the sidelines of this election. This is why I have undying respect and admiration for Bono - what a brave and wonderful man to swallow his pride and stand next to Bush to work this out. America is the most powerful, educated, wealthy, and libertarian nations in the world - Bono was wise to keep Bush as a friend instead of being a loudmouth child like Springsteen, Stipe, Mellencamp, et al.

 

[ShellBeThere]

I agree that Bono was very wise to stay out of the fray, and that it's gotta be good for the cause!
yah for Bono, yah for Bush's commitment, hope he produces!

 

[JessicaAnn]

With people like Michael Stipe of REM and Bruce Springsteen taking up arms against a popular president like George Bush, Bono played it smart and tried to appeal to both US parties. After Bush's major election win (more Americans voted for Bush than any other president in US history yesterday) instead of being shunned aside by the US administration, Bono still has somewhat of a "friend" in the White House which should be very good for his Africa initiatives. Bono is a true leader and extremely smart to not attack and smear Bush like so many of his classless, ignorant, and out-of-touch-with-America musicians. I predict in his second term, Bush will do even more to alleviate the AIDS crisis and will be willing to listen to more of what Bono has to say. This is a great day in US history and I'm glad Bono never turned himself into a fanatical, angry anti-Bush yahoo like so many other great celebrities. (shouldn't this all be a different thread? Something about Bono's work in Africa? This all seems like misplaced discussion to me)

Viva Bush!

Bono also is not an American citizen and as an outsider shouldn't voice his opinion.

On the other hand Bruce Springsteen, the Dixie Chicks, Dave Mathews and other American musicians who made their opinions known have every right to lend their support to the candidate of their choice.

Those musicians have every right to support to Kerry just as Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith, Britney Spears and other American musicians chose to publicly support Bush.

 

[BVS]

Re: Stop bitching, work together

Bush is not a dictator, he is a president. He offered a tripling of aid to Africa after meeting with Bono. He stunned the nation with his AIDS talk during his Sate of the Union speech last January. He made an extraordinary effort to reach out to Africa and the crisis. Nobody gives him credit because it's unpopular among uneducated youngsters and fools to give Bush credit for anything. But Bono did give him credit, and thanked him by staying on the sidelines of this election. This is why I have undying respect and admiration for Bono - what a brave and wonderful man to swallow his pride and stand next to Bush to work this out. America is the most powerful, educated, wealthy, and libertarian nations in the world - Bono was wise to keep Bush as a friend instead of being a loudmouth child like Springsteen, Stipe, Mellencamp, et al.

No one called Bush a dictator. Bush is all talk on this subject. Yes he spoke about it, big deal unless you act upon it. He wasn't able to convince one person from his own party, he's suppose to be a leader. You would think he'd be able to convince at least one. He hasn't spoken about it since. Bono plays it non-partisan, he has to. I'm sure it's hard and I admire him for it. He said he even have lunch with the devil if he thought it would help.

Honestly though right now you are the only one coming off uneducated by continually calling people names. This is a place for debate, not personal attacks.

 

[Liesje]

Re: Re: Bush will help Bono

Bono also is not an American citizen and as an outsider shouldn't voice his opinion.

I'm not sure how I feel about the original message of this thread, but everyone has every right to voice whatever opinion they want. Why does citizenship matter? Should we not listen to the opinions of European leaders, or UN leaders b/c they are not American?

 

[bostonmike4444]

I didn't want to debate the pros and cons of Bush, just that I think Bono is a very smart guy for how he played this all out. I imagine that if he has something he wants to talk to Bush about, he'll have an open ear. I know a lot of you european fans only hear negative things about Bush because of how your national media is structured, but Bush just won more votes than any other President in the HISTORY of the US - taking a staucnh anti-Bush attitude would repel this nation and hurt the chances of Bono's work getting an open ear in Washington.

It's a very happy day to be American, let's hope that with the nuisance of the democratic party silenced, Bush can concentrate on his long-term goals of bringing peaceful, free states to the Middle East and have more time to work on the several problems destroying Africa.

 

[DrTeeth]

Bono is just being a diplomat. I don't know if he supported either of the two candidates but I don't think he wanted to be in a position where he endorsed one candidate and ended up having to work with the other.

As for the money Bush promised, seeing is believing. His faith-based-initiative and his promotion of abstinence (sp?) as the Holy Grail is probably counterproductive. But I'm sure there are other people here who know more about this subject than I do.

 

[DrTeeth]

I know a lot of you european fans only hear negative things about Bush because of how your national media is structured,

Nonsense

 

[JessicaAnn]

a popular president like George Bush,

Also ... a popular president. Have you forgotten that half of the country (when you include people who voted for Kerry, Nader and the other independent candidates) didn't want Bush to stay in office.

After Bush's major election win (more Americans voted for Bush than any other president in US history yesterday)

A faulty argument. Voter turn out was high ... that's why Bush had so many votes. If I am not mistaken Kerry also had a record number of votes.

 

[bostonmike4444]

Not since 1988 has a President received a higher percentage of votes. Bush has a very clear mandate - this is BUSH COUNTRY NOW! And his brother Jeb will be president in 2008!

I believe in Bush's values and I believe that he will do whatever he can to help in Africa. It's tough when the whole world looks to America to solve all of it's problems, but I think Bush, in a second-term without fear of re-election, will do a great job.

Bono is a true genius for how he played this one out.

 

[JessicaAnn]

Re: Re: Re: Bush will help Bono

I'm not sure how I feel about the original message of this thread, but everyone has every right to voice whatever opinion they want. Why does citizenship matter? Should we not listen to the opinions of European leaders, or UN leaders b/c they are not American?

What I meant by my comment is that the policies of America (healthcare, job creation, economy) don't directly affect his life.

Bono is certainly free to form and express his opinions about American politics (just as I am free to express my opinions about the political atmosphere of any country around the world). However, Bono does not live here. His day to day life is not impacted by the policy decisions of the administration is in power (be it a Dem or a Rep administration).

I think foreign policy is another area, because every nation's policies have an impact on other nations.

However in my message I suppose I was focusing on domestic policy issues--which seemed to be of more importance to voters in this election.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

If the Democrats allowed Nader on the ballot in some states, Kerry would have lost more convincingly IMO however they wanted to limit the choice of Americans and succeeded to a degree only to fail in the end.

 

[bostonmike4444]

Very good point JessicaAnn - I also think that Bono's connection to New York played a role. He NEVER EVER said anything bad about the Iraq war. I think having a home in NYC and seeing first hand what happened when the terrorists declared war on the US moved him. How can you be a pacifist when innocent people going about their business at work are so brutally murdered in a city that you live in? I think this changed Bono as it changed most Americans.

 

[JessicaAnn]

Not since 1988 has a President received a higher percentage of votes. Bush has a very clear mandate - this is BUSH COUNTRY NOW!

Again ... a record number of votes for Bush because record numbers of people voted.

51% is not a mandate ... it's a majority, but not a mandate.

 

[Liesje]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Bush will help Bono

What I meant by my comment is that the policies of America (healthcare, job creation, economy) don't directly affect his life.

Bono is certainly free to form and express his opinions about American politics (just as I am free to express my opinions about the political atmosphere of any country around the world). However, Bono does not live here. His day to day life is not impacted by the policy decisions of the administration is in power (be it a Dem or a Rep administration).

I think foreign policy is another area, because every nation's policies have an impact on other nations.

However in my message I suppose I was focusing on domestic policy issues--which seemed to be of more importance to voters in this election.

OK, this makes it more clear. But I still think Bono has every right to have opinions about domestic policy in the US. I have LOTS of opinions about such policies in underdeveloped African countries that I am no a citizen of. Should I shut up b/c I've never been there and thus wouldn't know about health care, education, and economincs there? No. Besides, Bono does spend quite a lot of time in the US. I'm not sure how influential his opinions would be or whether or not people would agree, but he's certainly allowed to have them.

 

[starsgoblue]

Bush has not kept his promises for funding for Africa. Yes, there has been some funding but no where near what was promised.

Besides, you can waste time throwing pennies at the problem or you can solve the foundational problems inherent in Africa: Bush and Big Pharm have blocked Africa's access to generic anti-retroviral drugs that prevent the transmission of the virus from mother to child, the need for education, and debt reconciliation...and most importantly, the need for these larger governments to begin to see Africans as true equal-deservering of as much life as the rest of us are guaranteed in the international code of human rights.

No, Bush has done little more than throw pennies down a wishing well and hope the problem goes away. I'm really frightened for Africa. I hope Bono will ride Bush like a jockey with OCD.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Now theres a downright unsettling picture

 

[Liesje]

Yeah.....someone wanna Photoshop that?

 

[BVS]

I didn't want to debate the pros and cons of Bush,

Then don't title the thread Bush will help Bono if you aren't ready to debate it, because so far it's completely false.

And really you haven't debated anything. You praised Bush, praised Bono, called people names, and make swipes at the Democratic party and people outside the US.

 

[DrTeeth]

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I respect Bono for his "non-partisanship" and agree with Bono that Bush administration helping with the AIDS problem in Africa would be a good start to mending relations with people in other nations. I'd rather Bush do that instead of signing Kyoto or supporting the international criminal court. But it remains to be seen if that will happen.

Besides it'll be tough for Bush b/c IMO both Dems and Repubs may fight him or use the issue against him.

 

[Jamila]

Please do not confuse Bono's necessity of working with certain politicians as tacit support for them and their policies.

As someone who has had to make incessant phone calls to Congresspeople, send numerous emails to elected officials (including the President) and whose had to go back out on the streets to get petitions signed to KEEP BUSH'S (and Congress' )FEET TO THE FIRE to get the Global AIDS programs funded that they all approved of two years ago - I can tell you that if Bush and his Republican cohorts in Congress really wanted these programs to be effective, THEY WOULDN'T STAND IN THE WAY OF FULLY FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS!

Look what is on the DATA website:

http://www.data.org/archives/000558.php

If Bush and the Republicans were REALLY COMMITTED to keeping their promises to Africa, they wouldn't stand in the way of funding those programs!

To argue effectively, you gotta know what you're talking about.

And here is a quick synopsis of U2 (and Bono's) lifelong connection to organizations that I don't ever remember George Bush supporting:

http://forum.interference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100400&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

And, stars, admirable effort in this thread.

But what I'm finding is that there are more and more people popping up here (maybe recycled posters with new names?) whose only apparent purpose in to rile others up and then to try to discredit them.

Don't let them grind you down - sometimes ignoring ignoracy is the only way to get rid of it.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE DREAMING. IT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO!

 

[A_Wanderer]

The politician is an interesting creature, to get them to do anything one must kick their arses repeatedly.

 

[Theedge555]

Bono is a true genius for how he played this one out. [/B]

Check out this interview Bono did with Bill O'Reilly during the RNC @ MSG

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131198,00.html

 

[Joha_U2]

Bush has a very clear mandate - this is BUSH COUNTRY NOW!

Remember that half the country wanted Bush of out office.

And his brother Jeb will be president in 2008!

What is this world coming to?

Anyway, yeah, Bono was smart. But the others weren't less "smart" because of voicing their opinion.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Did half of the country even vote?

 

[sue4u2]

These lyrics have been running through my mind all day"

I woke up today
I was crying
Lost in a lost world
So many people are dying
Lost in a lost world

Some of them are living an illusion
Bounded by the darkness of their minds
In their eyes it's nation against nation against nation
With racial pride
Sad hearts they hide
Thinking only of themselves
They shun the light
They think they're right
Living in their empty shells

Oh, can you see their world is crashing?
Crashing down around their feet
Angry people in the street
Telling them they've had their fill
Of politics that wound and kill

rest of the lyrics here, if your interested: http://www.webwriter.f2s.com/moody/lyrics/seventh.htm#lost

I guess my point is, Bono has stated on numerous occasions that he will be a "pain in the arse" of this administration or any other country that has pledged committments to the AIDS/AFRICA pandemic..
He did make phone calls to Bush Sr, from the stage during U2 concerts, so expect nothing less if they don't follow through.

U2 is touring next year. He'll know by then who is living up to their promises.

I don't expect it will be Bush however.. IMO. Hope i'm wrong