Bono talks African debt at White House

Reuters ^ | Friday March1, 2002 | Reuters

[ejdrapes]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fresh from the Grammy awards, U2 singer Bono has pressed his case for African debt relief with U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice saying "she sees the linkage" between fighting poverty and the war on terrorism.

Bono told Reuters on Friday that he had lunch with Rice at the White House as part of his effort to fight third world debt and poverty. He is due to visit Africa next month on a fact-finding tour.

"She spoke very passionately herself about the subjects and knows an extraordinary amount about them for somebody so busy with the war against terrorism, and oddly enough, she sees the linkage," he said.

The anti-terror war has raised the profile of his campaign rather than distracted from it, he said.

"It's got centre stage," he said. "In Africa, there are 10 potential Afghanistans, so it (the issue) is now strategic. It's not philanthropy, it's strategic."

The White House has been sympathetic to expanding debt relief, but its proposals are caught up in a dispute with Europe over World Bank aid to poor countries.

Bono and the rest of the Irish rock band U2 opened the Grammy recording industry awards ceremony on Wednesday night, winning four awards including record of the year.

Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, was in Washington on Friday to meet African-American leaders, religious groups and debt-relief campaigners to rally support for his cause.

Bono said that with White House encouragement, he was seeking to enlist the "faith-based" community in the debt relief campaign. "Our movement is an unusual combination of church and street," he said.

[billorites]

"In Africa, there are 10 potential Afghanistans"

That means we are well short of the necessary Daisy Cutters.

[The Great RJ]

Just because you are some celebrity, what gives you any credibility to speak as an expert on issues of global importance? I am sick to death of the media treating these idiots as world class experts on everything.

[Cincinatus]

The concept that we can somehow "buy our way" into the hearts of the Third World is pure Jimmy Carterism. The biggest source of problems undeveloped nations have is not their material poverty, but their political poverty -- they encumber themselves with moronic dictatorships and gangsterocracies that prevent them from developing their own wealth.

We've tried handouts for 60 years. They don't work. Time to try something different.

[randog]

You know, Bozo's right. I think I'll shoot off a letter to him saying, "I'm broke. Give me and my friends free tickets to your next show or I'll kill you".

[Miss Marple]

I hope this doesn't sound too strange, but I believe a huge part of the problem in Africa is that the national boundaries are leftovers from European colonial rule. What if all the natioinal boundaries were re-drawn according to tribal influence? This is probably not practical, but I do think if it could be done there would be a lot less internal problems with those countries.

[sinclair]

Isn't that something.  Foreign leftist rock-n-rollers participating in policy discussions with the Bush Administration.  Forget Enron.  There's your scandal. ;^)

[RightWinger]

I am sick to death of the media treating these idiots as world class experts on everything.

Yeah, rocket scientists they are not!
The garbage man has more credibility in my book.

[JZoback]

"She spoke very passionately herself about the subjects and knows an extraordinary amount about them for somebody so busy with the war against terrorism, and oddly enough, she sees the linkage," he said.

What a pompous ass Bono is.

I think that "linkage" was an attempt to get Mr. Bono to shut his piehole and get the meeting over with.

I can imagine Mrs. Rice thinking to herself, "why did I get this assignment"

[AAABEST]

Bono talks African debt at White House

Don't they have bouncers at the White House? Who gives a crap what some spoiled, Irish, millionaire entertainer has to say?

[thirdbasecoach]

I wonder how many millions Bono is donating to the cause? I think he just wants me to pay! Oh! I get it, eh! Take from those who have worked for a small amount and give it to those who have borrowed and wasted. Thanks Robin Bono!!

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

Does he have an 800 # I could call. I need debt relief too.

Does he do mortgages?

Seriously, I can't imagine a more boring and uninspired rock band. Who exactly listens to U2? I simply can't. But I get bored too easily, I was told.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

Give me and my friends free tickets to your next show or I'll kill you.

Wouldn't that be a lose-lose situation for you? Assuming that you attend the show, of course.

[JZoback]

"It's got centre stage," he said. "In Africa, there are 10 potential Afghanistans, so it (the issue) is now strategic. It's not philanthropy, it's strategic."

Like every other left wing socialist liberal, he thinks not holding people responsible for their obligations will make them better people.

Just take the yoke of financial burden from their necks and they will be good little people thus saving us the hardship of having to root out the people we have made bad by loaning them money in the first

PUKING MY GUTS OUT

[majordivit]

This animal Bono is concerned that the racist government in Zimbawee, which murders white people and steals their land, should receive millions and millions of free American tax dollars? This animal Bono is concerned that the murderous muslim region in the Sudan, which has killed two million christians and has enslaved others, should receive millions and millions of free American tax dollars? If this Irish citizen is so concerned let him donate all his Irish proceeds from his grammy winning record to African debt relief. Not one penny of American tax money should go to Africa or anyplace for that matter.

[Trust but Verify]

I do. Love their music, hate their politics. I guess you can't have everything!

[dubyas_vision]

I'm so sick of the world abusing us. Can you imagine the uproar if for every $100 the African people earned, their governments took $30 in taxes, and sent $1 to New York for disaster relief? Yet the entire world fully expects us to support them - and the "disaster" they face has been brought about by their own laziness. I lived in a third world country for three years - these people refuse to work. They sit in the streets all day and mouth off about how the US owes them. When they scratch our backs I'll support scratching theirs. Right now they are just a thorn in our side.

[isthisnickcool]

Just because you are some celebrity, what gives you any credibility to speak as an expert on issues of global importance?

Whatever it is it must be the same thing that gives someone like Daschle, by some mysterious osmosis I suppose, the "intellect" to spew his "vast knowledge" on so many subjects. When actually they don't have a clue about anything but are just looking to take some money from "A" and give it to "B".

BONO does this to sell records. Daschle does it to buy votes. These men serve none but themselves. They are little men of limited talent. Mean little men.

[contessa machiaveli]

i hate to admit it but bozo aka bono and U2 are one of the most charitable groups, they donate a huge amount to charities (not ones i particularly care about)but they can afford it, they remain immensively successful. their concerts always sell out.

[hflynn]

What if all the natioinal boundaries were re-drawn according to tribal influence?

Gee, I seem to remember they tried this approach in Europe in the 1930's. It didn't work out to well.