Nick66
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
This whining about Bono and Bush is, and has always been, some of the most ridiculous stuff going.
Look, I'm no fan of Bush by a long shot. I do international work and haven't lived in America since 2000...and George Bush as President certainly didn't make that any easier. But setting aside the fact that Bush put more AID money and programs into Africa than all of his predecessors combined...and significantly more than the current President, it should come as no surprise that Bono has some sort of affection for the guy who did so much for his pet project. In fact, you could argue, correctly, that had Bono not cozied up to Bush (and the conservatives in congress), a lot of that money never would have made it to Africa. So Bono's actions, in a very real way, saved lives. But it seems a lot of people would rather him be combative, and retain some ideological purity than get results.
But more to the point, it was at Mandela's memorial service for crying out loud. You know, the guy who forgave his white jailers, invited them to his inauguration, invited his oppressors to form a government with him, and set aside vengeance in favour of reconciliation. The guy who put pragmatism above ideology after spending decades in prison...who would work with anyone, including his sworn enemies, to get results for his country. Yeah, way to get in the spirit of the moment by begrudging Bono a moment with George f**king Bush. Africa is actually one of the few places in the world where Bush is kind of respected.
Finally...Hitler? Anyone who brings Hitler into any discussion of American politics, no matter how benignly or the intent, has pretty much given up any kind of intellectual high ground. When you bring Hitler into the discussion, you're pretty much saying "I don't have anything else, I'm out of ideas." And here's another thing...whenever you say "I'm not comparing X to Hitler, but..."...you're comparing X to Hitler.
Yeah, sorry for the rant, this belongs in FYM. But Hitler. Crikey.
Look, I'm no fan of Bush by a long shot. I do international work and haven't lived in America since 2000...and George Bush as President certainly didn't make that any easier. But setting aside the fact that Bush put more AID money and programs into Africa than all of his predecessors combined...and significantly more than the current President, it should come as no surprise that Bono has some sort of affection for the guy who did so much for his pet project. In fact, you could argue, correctly, that had Bono not cozied up to Bush (and the conservatives in congress), a lot of that money never would have made it to Africa. So Bono's actions, in a very real way, saved lives. But it seems a lot of people would rather him be combative, and retain some ideological purity than get results.
But more to the point, it was at Mandela's memorial service for crying out loud. You know, the guy who forgave his white jailers, invited them to his inauguration, invited his oppressors to form a government with him, and set aside vengeance in favour of reconciliation. The guy who put pragmatism above ideology after spending decades in prison...who would work with anyone, including his sworn enemies, to get results for his country. Yeah, way to get in the spirit of the moment by begrudging Bono a moment with George f**king Bush. Africa is actually one of the few places in the world where Bush is kind of respected.
Finally...Hitler? Anyone who brings Hitler into any discussion of American politics, no matter how benignly or the intent, has pretty much given up any kind of intellectual high ground. When you bring Hitler into the discussion, you're pretty much saying "I don't have anything else, I'm out of ideas." And here's another thing...whenever you say "I'm not comparing X to Hitler, but..."...you're comparing X to Hitler.
Yeah, sorry for the rant, this belongs in FYM. But Hitler. Crikey.
