Yep, completely different principles...
For example, they never gave a free concert before - oh wait, they did in L.A. in 1987.
Well, the never associated with corporations before - oh wait, they did with MTV, VH-1, K-Mart, Target, and Best Buy from 1984 through 2001.
Well, they certainly never appeared on a commercial playing their music - oh wait, they did, when they advertised the "Best Of" in 1998.
Well, they never appeared on so many TV shows playing their music now like they did then - oh wait, they did many times in the past, as way back as 1980.
Well, they never charged so much for their music - but wait, the new album costs only $7.99 at Best Buy (and as a long time music fan, this was the price of albums back in the 70's!!!) and one can download a whopping 450 songs for $150 - that's $0.33 per song - cheaper than the 70's when a 45 rpm cost a $1 for 2 songs.
Well, their music seems recycled and stale now - but wait, wasn't "War" just a fine-tuning of "Boy" and "October"? Wasn't JT a fine-tuning of UF? Wasn't R&H essentially JT-Part 2? Wasn't "Zooropa" AB-Part 2? Or was that "Pop"?
Well, they certainly never looked as ridiculous - except for the mullets, the whole ZOO TV image and the whole shaved head "Pop" image.
Every single argument you make, I've heard. I've been a fan since 1983. I've played on on-line U2 forums and newsgroups starting in 1993. And all the arguments I hear now, I heard then. In 1988, people said R&H was too dark and not original. In 1992, people said "U2 sold out".
It seems to me that it's not U2 who has lost their originality or sold out - rather, it's the fans. The same arguments year after year. And yet, amazingly, here you are playing on a U2 fan site, buying the music and I bet you'll be in line for concert tickets. Funny how that works.
Can't wait to hear you bitch about the concert ticket prices (something that also started in 1988), Bono's voice (something that started in 1987, and really earlier with his rather weak vocals on "War"), or their concert performances (again, something people bitched about plenty in 1987 when they couldn't see U2 if they were anywhere but the front row).