And so the backlash begins!

[bullet the blue sky]

They were only out of Ireland for a day!

Now you see where Bono is coming from... http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...&issue_id=5191

[mikal]

The fuckhead that wrote that article is obviously an idiot!

These are the people that will never write for a big magazine because of these dumbass articles.

He may think he's clever, but he's just dumb. That's the bottom line.

[Bonochick]

This writer could only dream of being as famous and wonderful as Bono.

------------------
"I Can Lose Myself, You I Can't Live Without"

[z edge]

I read that shit(e) too and wasn't going to bother for a comment. This reminds me of that moron who slammed them in dallas, except this guy actually gives Bono/them SOME credibility at least.

[Auxtung Beibi]

Clearly, he's got a bone with U2, and he's just blowing off steam... but he has a point about Jesse Helms. I understand if, to Bono, the ends of canceling debts justify the means of doing a little dance with this congressional devil, but he's made his admiration of Helms quite public. I guess I just don't understand it. U2 almost didn't play Sundevil Stadium in 1987 when the Governor refused to proclaim MLK Day a state holiday... well, Helms has been working against it his whole political life. Being more subtle with your politics should not mean you're compromising your views.

[z edge]

Yeah, but you can admire and like somebody even though you may not agree with their politics/beliefs.

[sulawesigirl4]

Originally posted by z edge:
Yeah, but you can admire and like somebody even though you may not agree with their politics/beliefs.

No No! That would mean you'd have to be tolerant. We'll have none of that.

-sula

[Auxtung Beibi]

Of course you can, z edge. I myself voted for Tom Campbell for the U.S. Senate here in California not because I agreed with his ideology more than I did that of the incumbant, Feinstein (which, believe you me, I didn't), but because I admire him so much as a person and a statesman. However, it's clear from the 80s that U2 greatly admired MLK and were ready and willing to defend him in front of detractors. Jesse Helms spearheaded the battle at the time to keep MLK Day from going federal; he was all over the media meticulously explaining how MLK was a Communist.

Maybe U2 have forgotten this, or maybe Helms struck a chord with Bono that reconciled this difference. I don't know, but I'd like to know, because to me it looks like U2 are being inconsistent.

[mug222]

Auxtung, politics is far more complicated than you seem to give it credit- often, to further your own kind-hearted agenda, you have to (quite literally) sleep with the enemy. In this case, the enemy is Jessie Helms and the act of fornication is all of the praise Bono's been lathering on him in the public press.

It may appear to be inconsistency, but instead I think the band has found a way to fuse their idealism of the '80s and their irony of the '90s into a kind of pragmatism- something which is far more effective than either of their preceding outlooks.

[Naya]

Well the guy seems jealous and frustrated, but I too cannot understand why Bono is friends with Jesse Helms.

[melon]

Yeah, if there's one man I hate in politics, it's Jesse Helms.

But, just to empathize, imagine if the biggest band in the world was N'Sync. You constantly hear how wonderful N'Sync is. Justin Timberlake sends love notes to Strom Thurmond in his "Drop the Dead" campaign. And all you live, breathe, and eat is N'Sync, and you just, for the life of you, cannot stand them.

He's obviously not a fan, and he's just tired of hearing about U2. We, obviously, can't get enough, so we're just fine. But do understand where he is coming from, rather than flatly condemning.

God, when did I get empathetic?!

Melon

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�Confused by thoughts, we experience duality in life. Unencumbered by ideas, the enlightened see the one reality.� - Hui-neng (638-713)

[z edge]

Originally posted by melon:


God, when did I get empathetic?!

Melon

Yesterday!

[anitram]

I obviously don't agree with a lot of it. But the guy has a right to his opinion. And I actually agree with him on a lot of his feelings towards Helms. Not everybody has to like U2, and we don't really have to try to convert the masses. So long as we enjoy the music, it makes no difference what others may or may not like.

[Auxtung Beibi]

Good lord, as public policy major it drives me f$%&ing CRAZY how complicated politics gets at times... or maybe just the fact that no one seems to write about it in a halfway interesting way Anyway, point being I completely understand Bono reaching out to Kaisch, Gramm, all the Republicans with whom he disagrees on many issues. I think if you care about an issue deeply enough, you're morally obligated to reach out to the opposition. Of course, if you're open-minded and tolerant, that's not a problem at all.

At the same time, I believe there's a time when you need to stop being a politician and stand your ideological ground, on principle. I guess some people offered this exact criticism on Clinton, while others think Bush is now too far in the opposite direction. We can debate that in another thread. Ultimately, it just surprised me that Bono's been so public with his relationship with Helms, that's all.

If there's one thing on which we can agree, it's that Brendan O'Connor is a wanker

[This message has been edited by Auxtung Beibi (edited 09-02-2001).]

[z edge]

Is it just me or is our little Bono trying to get his foot in the door with G.W. too?

[Saracene]

Well, I guess that U2 are probably more over-exposed in Ireland than anywhere else, so I can understand why some people may be sick of hearing and reading about them. And he's entitled to his opinion, of course. But I don't see why he has to twist every single little thing and fact to suit his vision of the band and Bono in particular. How, for example, can he criticise the Slane shows when he admitted himself earlier that he hasn't even been there? (And why does it seem that every writer who wants to slam U2 think that only 40-year-olds go their concerts?)

[pub crawler]

It's possible that Bono is much more of an idealist than cynic.