Live 8

[Lord Summerisle]

Anyone watch?

anyone care?

Anyone hear about it in Philly?

 

[MINE!!]

Is this about the woman anchor?

 

[icekid]

I was at the Philadelphia Live 8!! Reports of about 1 millions people at the concert. It was crazy! Sooo many people. I''m not sure how many people were there to actually support the cause though. It was a free concert with a lot of big names, and I think that''s why the majority went.

For anyone who doesn''t know about it... http://www.live8live.com/ (by the same people who held Live Aid 20 years ago)

Basically, huge concerts were held in different countries to try to influence the G8 meeting that is happening next week. G8 summit = the meeting of the 8 most wealthy countries in the world, I believe. Some of the big music celebs are lobbying to forgive Africa''s debt, double the amount of aid to Africa, and give them free trade. All of which sound nice. Though it seems to me when we just give them money, it goes to the corrupt government officials rather than the poverty-stricken people. I guess there needs to be a better system.

I thought it was rather silly that they kept saying that they don''t want my money though (only my voice!). Do I look stupid? Money does not fall out of the air so that we can give it to Africa. It comes from my tax money- forced donations, basically. I have no problems with trying to help others, but don''t try to tell me that my money is not supporting the effort!

But it was a fun event... one of those once in a lifetime sort of things. So I am definitely glad that we went!

 

[msb700]

I actually saw it on TV live and it showed clips from all the concerts around the world (Philly, london, germany etc..) it was packed in every country and like icekid said, it seemed to be packed in every country!

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 7/3/2005 10:20:36 AM
Author: icekid
I was at the Philadelphia Live 8!! Reports of about 1 millions people at the concert. It was crazy! Sooo many people. I''m not sure how many people were there to actually support the cause though. It was a free concert with a lot of big names, and I think that''s why the majority went.


For anyone who doesn''t know about it... http://www.live8live.com/ (by the same people who held Live Aid 20 years ago)


Basically, huge concerts were held in different countries to try to influence the G8 meeting that is happening next week. G8 summit = the meeting of the 8 most wealthy countries in the world, I believe. Some of the big music celebs are lobbying to forgive Africa''s debt, double the amount of aid to Africa, and give them free trade. All of which sound nice. Though it seems to me when we just give them money, it goes to the corrupt government officials rather than the poverty-stricken people. I guess there needs to be a better system.


I thought it was rather silly that they kept saying that they don''t want my money though (only my voice!). Do I look stupid? Money does not fall out of the air so that we can give it to Africa. It comes from my tax money- forced donations, basically. I have no problems with trying to help others, but don''t try to tell me that my money is not supporting the effort!


But it was a fun event... one of those once in a lifetime sort of things. So I am definitely glad that we went!

Ah.... I see... DH mentioned something about it.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

so what about teh woman anchor?

Watched part of the London show... took over BBC1 for the afternoon showing all the london show through to the concert finishing in Philly.

Was only really watchign myself for Pink Floyd... too much of it seemed a corperate promotion presented as a charity cause...

 

[MissAva]

I didnt watch and didnt go. Personally I think we need to take care of things here in our own country before taking care of the rest of the world. IE more money for police, firemen, teachers and military. We give away so much and dig ourselves furether into to debt... it may sound cold but I think we need to help those paying taxes first and the rest of the world later...I include places Puerto Rico in this since they have things like our welfare and no federal taxes.

 

[Mara]

Matatora, I very much agree: taking care of ourselves (meaning the US) first ... we do so much for other countries and yet we still have homeless people on the streets, and very poor people living in a substandard manner here in the US. Why don''t we fix ourselves first before trying to aid others?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/3/2005 4:19:13 PM
Author: Mara
Matatora, I very much agree: taking care of ourselves (meaning the US) first ... we do so much for other countries and yet we still have homeless people on the streets, and very poor people living in a substandard manner here in the US. Why don''t we fix ourselves first before trying to aid others?

Amen!
Im tired of having money stole from me and sent to other countries.

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 7/3/2005 4:21:38 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 7/3/2005 4:19:13 PM

Author: Mara

Matatora, I very much agree: taking care of ourselves (meaning the US) first ... we do so much for other countries and yet we still have homeless people on the streets, and very poor people living in a substandard manner here in the US. Why don''t we fix ourselves first before trying to aid others?

Amen!

Im tired of having money stole from me and sent to other countries.

I 2nd, 3rd 4th and 5th that statement!

 

[Laralooblue]

I actually don''t mind my money being sent to help hundreds of thousands of children and adults drinking polluted water that gathers in mud puddles after the rain, or the escalating number of orphans with little to no future. *My* country, *their* country... it doesn''t matter that much to me. We have enough to spread it around.

 

[ursulawrite]

Date: 7/4/2005 2:30:14 PM
Author: Laralooblue
I actually don''t mind my money being sent to help hundreds of thousands of children and adults drinking polluted water that gathers in mud puddles after the rain, or the escalating number of orphans with little to no future. *My* country, *their* country... it doesn''t matter that much to me. We have enough to spread it around.

 

[onedrop]

I agree with the last two posts. I don''t mind "our" money going to help much poorer countries. Of course we have poverty and myriad social issues here, but in other countries where there is abject poverty on a far greater scale, I believe we should do our part to help.

 

[icekid]

i definitely think that we have to do our part to help other nations. honestly, how many people in the US are starving to death? we have so much, and other nations have SO little.

the fact that we need to maintain our presence in the world if we are to not to mention maintain our status as a "world power." part of world politics is being there when others in the world need assistance. if we''re seen as a greedy nation, who is going to help us when we need it? who is going to side with us? if you want to continue to benefit from being an American, then we''re going to have to protect our position as a country with a great deal of influence.

obviously, it''s just not so simple as keeping our tax money here...

 

[Mara]

i totally agree that we as a nation should help others, being greedy is not what america is about...however we have so many issues internally here that whenever i see mass efforts to help other countries, i wonder where those efforts are internally. then again i don't follow politics so maybe they are there and i just don't see them. however....when i pass tons of homeless on the street or you hear about someone in NYC freezing to death because they are homeless...i wonder how a better balance can be achieved between our own nation helping itself and then others as well.

i also don't know exactly how throwing money at other countries will necessarily assist them in the way we all hope long-term, but that's another issue. i hate discussing politics!