Sing a song for Darfur?

[S.A.M.]

Can singing songs really help Darfur? Do these charity events contribute at all to reducing the conflict or the killing? Or are they just self delusions that by buying an album we are doing something for the starving poor?

[John99]

um, yeah they help.

Do you remember these Sam?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_Aid_(band)

I dont remember LiveAid but i liked the Bob Geldof tune...

http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/live_aid.html

[S.A.M.]

How much money did they raise? What did they use it for? What changed with that money?

[Nickelodeon]

Raised awareness.

[GeoffP]

Sold more albums of their own.

Whoops! I mean: helped the poor. Yeah that's it.

[S.A.M.]

They always tell us about the money they raise; does anyone know what they do with it?

[John99]

They always tell us about the money they raise; does anyone know what they do with it?

It goes where they say it will go.

How much money did they raise? What did they use it for? What changed with that money?

I am not really sure, i was 6 or 7 years old at the time but the song was very good and Bob Geldof also did 'I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS' in 1979 which still is in some ways my favorite song. One of those things where everything comes together to be something really special...magical, supernatural, beyond human capability, touched by the hand of God...

I dont like, li dont like mondays....woo woo woo wooo

[nietzschefan]

Remember "We are the World?"

I heard that money went to warlords(ethiopia/somalia), not sure if that's true.

[Baron Max]

Can singing songs really help Darfur? Do these charity events contribute at all to reducing the conflict or the killing? Or are they just self delusions that by buying an album we are doing something for the starving poor?

I thought your ideals are all about non-interference with the lives of other nations? Now you want someone/some nation/some group to ...interfer with the Ethiopian nation's internal affairs?

Maybe you'd like the USA to go in a straighten out that mess for you, Sam?

Baron Max

[S.A.M.]

I thought your ideals are all about non-interference with the lives of other nations? Now you want someone/some nation/some group to ...interfer with the Ethiopian nation's internal affairs?

Maybe you'd like the USA to go in a straighten out that mess for you, Sam?

Baron Max

I'm just wondering who these benefits really benefit.

[John99]

Remember "We are the World?"

I heard that money went to warlords(ethiopia/somalia), not sure if that's true.

I forgot that one. Cyndi Lauper (sp), Springsteen and wasn't Neil Young involved?

I thought your ideals are all about non-interference with the lives of other nations? Now you want someone/some nation/some group to ...interfer with the Ethiopian nation's internal affairs?

Maybe you'd like the USA to go in a straighten out that mess for you, Sam?

Baron Max

ha ha ha. the problem is it takes more than money.

[Baron Max]

I'm just wondering who these benefits really benefit.

Some, but not all, such charitable organizations have open books for everyone to see and read. But for every one of those, there are a gazillion who don't have to show or prove shit to anyone.

So ...in answer to your question ....a good, healthy shrug is probably the closest you'll ever get.

Baron Max

[Orleander]

I seriously get tired of giving and giving to Africa when it just never seems to pull itself up by its boot straps.
How many times do we do this? Are my grandchildren going to be singing songs for them too?

[S.A.M.]

Some, but not all, such charitable organizations have open books for everyone to see and read. But for every one of those, there are a gazillion who don't have to show or prove shit to anyone.

So ...in answer to your question ....a good, healthy shrug is probably the closest you'll ever get.

Baron Max

Seems like with all the people willing to help, what is it that keeps problems from being resolved? Where are we going wrong? What should we be doing instead?

[Jeff 152]

I thought your ideals are all about non-interference with the lives of other nations? Now you want someone/some nation/some group to ...interfer with the Ethiopian nation's internal affairs?

Maybe you'd like the USA to go in a straighten out that mess for you, Sam?

Baron Max

Ya, I don't understand why some people want us to help out the oppressed people of darfur. If we did, the same people who told us to go in and help would be complaining about all the lives lost a year later. And they would say we only went in to get diamonds (im not sure if there are diamonds there, i was trying to think of the african equivalent of middle eastern oil). Darfur would be another Iraq, except darfur poses no threat to us where as Iraq, with a little more time, very well could have.

[Nickelodeon]

There are different ways to intervene:

1) Actually help the people, eventually helping them to help themselves and become independent from aid.

2) Bomb them and control their resources (self interest) like in Iraq.

Guess which one we would rather see?

[nietzschefan]

After thinking about this(and I've spent some time looking at Darfur on Google earth - recommended - very awful), I keep thinking about what those bastards did to the region when they killed Gordon. They still are feeling the effects of Muslim revolution...what a 150 years ago?

[Baron Max]

Seems like with all the people willing to help,...

Willing to help, or just saying so because it's the politically correct thing to say? I mean, let's face it, Sam, how would the people of the world react if I went on national tv and said, "Ahh, fuck those damned Darfurians ...they're more fuckin' trouble than they're worth!" Think I'd be re-elected? No, of course not. So people always say the "nice" things, instead of what's so obviously the truth ....I say "truth", because as you can see by reality, no one gives one rats' ass about Darfur.

Where are we going wrong? What should we be doing instead?

You tell me, Sam, you brought it all up for discussion.

Me? I think we should drop about ten humongus neutron bombs on the area and forget about it. Or perhaps cut the whole damned nation out, ship it out into the ocean and sink the whole fuckin' thing.

Baron Max

[S.A.M.]

Willing to help, or just saying so because it's the politically correct thing to say? I mean, let's face it, Sam, how would the people of the world react if I went on national tv and said, "Ahh, fuck those damned Darfurians ...they're more fuckin' trouble than they're worth!" Think I'd be re-elected? No, of course not. So people always say the "nice" things, instead of what's so obviously the truth ....I say "truth", because as you can see by reality, no one gives one rats' ass about Darfur.



You tell me, Sam, you brought it all up for discussion.

Me? I think we should drop about ten humongus neutron bombs on the area and forget about it. Or perhaps cut the whole damned nation out, ship it out into the ocean and sink the whole fuckin' thing.

Baron Max

Now now, don't be shy. Tell me what you really think.

[Baron Max]

Now now, don't be shy. Tell me what you really think.

Well, Sam, c'mon, tell us what you think "we" should do? It's your thread, it's your topic, and you seem to know a bit about it. What do you propose "we" do?

And please don't forget your basic ideal of international relations ....non-interference!

Baron Max