Thursday, June 23, 2005
Live 8 Update and Reappraisal
Brief update on “Live 8,” the mega-star rock concert organized by Bob Geldof to draw attention to Africa’s poverty. I stand corrected in my earlier comments regarding the organizer and his mission. To be sure, such an event will, indeed, likely draw its share of idealists and capitalist bashers but Geldof himself seems rather commendable at this point (the good motives seemed genuine to begin with). He actually has the good sense to try to keep the effort on task by telling those involved to lay off the topics of Iraq, global warming, and other protest favorites. He even went so far as to mention something that the media in general likes to keep low key; that George Bush “has actually done more than any American President for Africa.”
Another high profile rock-star with a history of well-meaning involvement with African poverty is Bono, from the band U-2. He seems to be another rare character from the entertainment crowd whose sincere concerns regarding African poverty don’t conflict with common sense -- that markets and free trade are a part of the solution.
I assume that neither Geldof nor Bono are “right wing” laissez-faire types, but their common sense approach to genuine problems is rare and commendable.
There are more than a few who now recognize that simply “giving money” to corrupt dictatorships is not a solution to poverty in Africa, and that capitalism is not the enemy of prosperity and progress.
There will no doubt be plenty of garden-variety socialists to carry on the “redistribution solution” idea, but common sense will hopefully outnumber them in the long run.
