Rebranding America

[Geo]

and to think, I've never hung out with Scootybug and I do not know that guy Geo and any of his friends. Don't even think that's his real name. :lie:
(We can disagree, raise salient points, and still respect each other's probably because we are not hiding behind a screen name. ;-))

Geo is short for George. Nice to meet you, Mango.

 

[scooterbug44]

I think a large part of it is that we all like to actually discuss something instead of just calling names ............. and that Bono's charity efforts and tax decisions don't have party approved sound bites/rhetoric so the rabid political posters stay out of it. :roll:

 

[30A Skunkape]

Wow- I don't see it that way. I see a guy who has worked his butt off and is trying to do some good in the world. He left his cynicism and pessimism at the door and is doing something positive with his fame and fortune.

I will be the first to admit that I don't know a whole lot about Bono other than that as long as I can recall he was a politically active guy. I don't know if he was ever a pessimist. It is safe to say, however, that at this point he has reached a level of self actualization where he can advocate for various issues as though advocacy is his calling. That is great and it must be wonderful to be so financially secure that most of your day is consumed not by financial worries of self but that of others.

With that said, I googled the programs Bono has editorialized support of. These are UN programs and according to the UN website, they all need billions of dollars in funding. Is it moral for Bono to advocate American taxpayers who are 'comfortable' fill this financial gap?

It concerns me that the solution to problems like poverty seems to be as simple as amassing a certain amount of money to shower upon the poor. We have been fighting poverty in this country for decades and still have huge issues. How then, will sending yet more money, to be distributed by the UN and African governments (neither of which have stellar track records of freedom from graft) make a difference?

I guess I am going on a tangent away from the original discussion, but to summarize I applaud Bono on his seemingly tireless effort to help his fellow man but have concerns when complex issues are boiled down to dishonest simplicity and then being scolded for lacking wholehearted support of his ideas.