Why did Leonard not

[Andrew McGeever]

take the opportunity to participate in the Live8 concert in Canada?
With a line-up including Bryan Adams, Deep Purple, Motley Crue, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot ?
Given his impending "world tour" (sic) it would seem sense for him to perform to a global audience as an advert, notwithstanding the political message which was being beamed out simultaneously from 10 cities across the globe.
As for me, I spent Saturday in Edinburgh, along with 250,000 marchers who made a solid human band of white round the centre of the city.
Edinburgh, in the next few days, will be the centre of the universe.
That's not true: Gleneagles ("a golf course", according to Bono), is the venue for the G8 conference.
There are so many events/demonstrations associated with this latest carve-up of capitalist interests.
Yesterday was so special: 30 family members and friends met in my son's flat at 12 o'clock to take a short walk to the Meadows; the starting point for the march. At 2pm , those thousands still waiting to join , saw Paul McCartney and Bono play "Sergeant Pepper" (live from London).
At 3pm, a minute's silence: Edinburgh was hushed. Come 4 o'clock, we started to march.It took us that long to join the queue.
By the time I got home and watched highlights from the 10 concerts, I was tired and wondered why Leonard Cohen wasn't involved.
But I saw Pink Floyd (reunited!!!!!)
That's enough for now....the G8 thread will last longer than my tiredness from yesterday.
Andrew.

[Jo]

What horrible fate stuck me in this backwoods corner so far from the mainstream of LIFE?

[tomsakic]

I agree - but Leonard never was so big or interested to go on such places. He even never got his MTV Unplugged, as Dylan did.

The saddest thing: probably nobody called him.

[bruna]

I watched the open air concerts on TV and I liked the atmosphere. If there were any action near here to take a part, I would go. But I can´t imagine LC on the stage in Canada, London, nor Philadelphia. Audience there probably wanted something simpler. I don´t want to say, that performers there were simple, maybe just more extroversive...
Maybe I am completely wrong, but I must say here, that I would be a little disapointed, if I saw LC there. I can´t explain it, I just feel it this way.

[Andrew McGeever]

Dear Bruna and Tom,
I take the points you make: I've been thinking about these matters all weekend. Don't get me wrong: the most important issues are those which prompted me to march, yet again, against the insane carve-up of our increasingly fragile planet, and the brutal consequences of so-called "free trade".
Yet I wished that Leonard had made a public statement: even if he wasn't "invited" to perform in Barrie, he surely could have endorsed/introduced a performer....Gordon Lightfoot?....Neil Young?......
I write this against the background of U2 and Leonard performing in NY, the new pro-active management which we are told he has secured, the book, another album, a TV documentary, a world tour...etc.
Something doesn't fit.
Tom, Bruna, the bottom line is that I love the guy, but I'm very concerned about his present, nevermind "the future". This is the stuff of the other thread which lies beside this one.
Andrew.

P.S. Tom, I'm playing "Miss Sarajevo" by U2 and Lucianno Pavarotti as I type this post. The proceeds went to "War Child", not just in Bosnia. It was over 10 years ago, as you know.

[Dem]

Better that Leonard Cohen didn’t participate in that bad joke.

It would be another multimillionaire singing
for the poor.

Because, despite the good intentions of the participants,
that’s what Live 8 was: A bad joke.

It is a bad joke when billionaire rock stars arrive in stretch limos at the venues to make poverty history:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainmen ... 645123.stm


It is a bad joke when Mariah Carey brings her masseuse on stage to give her some water (How many Africans dying of thirst have a personan masseuse to give them some water?)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050702/bs ... nmentmusic

It is the ultimate bad joke to bring multi-billionaire Bill Gates on stage back Africa plan:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050702/bs ... nmentmusic

Because it is the very same capitalistic system that gives guys like Gates millions and millions of dollars (through the exploitation of the works of others) on the one hand and condemns millions and millions of people to die from starvation and curable diseases in 2005 AD

Now click your fingers every three seconds to symbolise how often a child dies because of poverty in Africa and calculate how many dollars go to the pockets of Bono and Sir Paul McCartney
at the same three seconds.

Oh, and send up a probe for a spectacular collision with a comet, please.
We need some good fireworks for the 4th of July and it doesn’t cost much:
Only US $330 million:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Impac ... e_mission)


Dem

[Tri-me]

Dem I appreciate your post. The live aid show does raise awareness, but it is hard not to realize that it looks good on ya to participate in a show like this. The consumerism of the G-8 countries is raping the planet the millionaire rock stars certainly over consume.
I am glad that Bono and Geldof are making an effort, and giving people something positive to get the message across is a great way to get people to wake up. But the millionaires could have used more discretion, maybe arriving in hybrid cars would be a better idea. Militarism is the biggest cause of third world debt. There are many other things like oil, diamonds. Diamonds are now mined in Canada’s Northwest Territories and the business is for the most part controlled by the aboriginal people.

I am not making much sense, but this is a double edged sword. I am glad Leonard Cohen did not participate. He would have consumed fossil fuels to fly and drive to Barrie Ontario. I can’t imagine the fossil fuels consumed to make these concerts happen. I think there were more people enjoying music rather than leaving and writing letters to their politicians and double guessing the consumption of the world’s resources. I will shut up now.

[Boss]

Dem,

You opened me up, cut right through me. While I was singing the plaudits of these very wealthy 'rockers' I, along with millions of others, thought how 'cool' they were. But they live inside bubbles. Like many in the West they need to be pricked so true justice can shine through. The rich have no excuse. It should be known that ALL of us are guilty in one sense or another. We waste resources on so much - new kitchens, new cars, swimming pools, getting our nails done and so on. This energy, this power could be aiding our brothers and sisters who don't have the chance to own a computer, or go to school. Who don't have homes. Who don't have hope. Yes; the governments should give so much more, the pop stars their helicopters, Bill Gates another 5 billion and the space industry should be put on hold. We SHOULD be held accountable for the disease, the inequality. Why? Honour...

[Scooby Doo]

I agree. If all the Rock Stars in the world just gave say a Million each, then we would not need Live 8?

Just a though...

[Paula]

Do you really think the starving children will benefit because I don't. The people who will benefit are Geldof and Bono's egos, various singers sales will rocket and the various African "leaders".

Am I cynical you bet I am. What a PR stunt !!

[Tchocolatl]

I second Paula.

It is a charm operation to win the G8's populations (democracy oblige) to this erase-the-debt-action in order to balance the international account book in favour of the G8, first.

I would say I am realistic, though, not cynical.

But. A coin has two sides. Always. You can not flip it and expect it will always goes down on the same side.

Now, between all those people that have been reached by the operation, some are really care about the children than they would have been before. Ah! ah!

[Boss]

On a broader scale than Live 8, I really do believe that those in poverty would indeed benefit from the Western World doing more. It is feasible. Geldolf may have been a catalyst, but it will be you and I who do the work (hasn't it always been?).

It is possible to make a difference. Tear at the heart of BUSINESS - why don't we boycott all Coca-Cola products on the 23rd of July, that may prove a point. Consumer power has been much underestimated. Imagine how much they'd lose! We'd hold some bargaining power. Multi-nationals beware! Tear at the hearts of GOVERNMENTS, those pretending so smugly to care for little babies and so on. Read through the lines and see the disease. The real leaders too shy to make it in the 'big' world of politics. Find strength and lead in your own way. Rise up against their pretence and your fear.

And you see Paula a new day may just be possible afterall. Just have to penetrate the rich to the truth...

[Nan]

The West has given Africa 387 BILLION dollars in the last 40 years. That's given. Not loaned. Despots and dictators have scarfed it up. More than just money is needed if the sitution is to change.

And when Bono sells his French chateau and donates half his considerable fortune to "Africa" I'll take him seriously.

[Jonnie Falafel]

I can't say I'm too keen on Mariah Carey under any circumstances! However, I feel that there's a connection between LCs Democracy and what we're seeing here.... ["It's coming through a hole in the air/All those nights in Tianenmen Square"]We've lost faith & patience with the politicians and so we're bypassing their systems of democracy (only just over 30% of those who could be bothered to vote in the UK voted for the winners!) and going straight to the streets, the internet, the media to get our message across. Whatever you say about Bono or Geldof they've galvanised or at least re-invigourated a movement..... I do wonder though if the likes of Carey really do understand the consequences of what they were singing for. Justice for Africa, tackling global warming & averting eco-catastrophe mean that we in the West are gonna have to be a little bit poorer and a little bit less comfortable.....

[Paula]

What they have done is create a concert which appealed across the spectrum. They then invited people to text in for tickets with some of the money going to "make poverty history". The people who texted in along with people who play the lottery don't necesseirly give a toss about where the money is going what good causes it it going to help, they either wanted to see the concert or wanted to win the lottery. They then encouraged people to sign on the net at live8.com with the incentive of their names being scrolled across a screen. And then we get the benefit of people like Ms Dynamite telling us Africa's problems are all a result of the Western world.

Africa is not going to be sorted by throwing money at it. Money has been thrown for ions and apart from a few exceptions there are no good vibes coming out of the country with regard to poverty being relieved. There are some very good vibes for some African despots who have managed to buy $30 million planes and some very nice houses thank you very much. They must think they have died and gone to heaven, treat the people like shit and the west will pay you for it.