Two Rock Stars who are both making outstanding contributions to use their celebrity to change the world come from different angles.
Sir Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats
(I never loved Eva Braun*) and
Bono of U2 (It’s A Beautiful Day) work together but live in different worlds.
Bono received an honorary knighthood but
Irishmen may not be titled or addressed as SIR because the Queen is not the head of State..whatever!
Geldof said,
“Bono, as we all know,
is in love with this world.
He’s enamoured by it.
He wants to give the world a great big HUG!
I want to PUNCH it’s lights out!”
Love the sinner hate the sin
Yin and Yang
Good and Evil
I wrestle with my cosmology.
I am outraged by the atrocities that are taking place around the globe at this very instant.
It is mind boggling that we ignore the real problems and focus on saving Dugongs or Owls instead of tackling poverty and saving children.
The most powerful country in History spends trillions of dollars on developing weapons instead of Education and Healthcare.
Why must the pursuit of the almighty dollar reign supreme at the expense of the betterment of the citizens?
Why must the pursuit of the almighty dollar reign supreme at the expense of the betterment of the citizens?
Politicians suckle on Lobbyist’s handouts in order to accommodate Corporations who supposedly will employ thousands and bring prosperity to their district and then turn around and lay off thousands to increase the bottom line.
Real Estate Developers and their Agents lie to the public about the crumbling Housing Market which is so artificially inflated that it is ridiculous…the high risk lenders are tumbling like dominos and yet people still borrow exorbitant amounts of money that they cannot pay off in 30 years.
Our entire system is not only unnatural but it is completely unsustainable, and yet we plod along with our heads down and eyes closed. We purposefully ignore the BAD News and focus on Sports or Fashion or completely useless things like the 24/7 media circus surrounding the genetic father is of a deceased Playmate!
Despite all of the evidence about how terribly wrong everything is going we ostrichise ourselves and put our heads in the sand. We hope that some extraterrestrial entity or human facsimile will magically arrive and clean up our mess.
In the midst of it all are the little day to day triumphs of watching your child learn to ride their bicycle or hearing that an old friend is recovering from a terrible medical condition.
Our entire system is not only unnatural but it is completely unsustainable, and yet we plod along with our heads down and eyes closed. We purposefully ignore the BAD News and focus on Sports or Fashion or completely useless things like the 24/7 media circus surrounding the genetic father is of a deceased Playmate!
Despite all of the evidence about how terribly wrong everything is going we ostrichise ourselves and put our heads in the sand. We hope that some extraterrestrial entity or human facsimile will magically arrive and clean up our mess.
In the midst of it all are the little day to day triumphs of watching your child learn to ride their bicycle or hearing that an old friend is recovering from a terrible medical condition.
Obviously our brains, which are desperately trying to adapt and tweak our behavior to catch up, are not yet equipped to handle these HUGE problems on a global scale.
We need to focus on the things within our realm in order to stay sane. ..
but as I watch my son gleefully parade down the sidewalk on his new bike I cannot ignore the plight of children his age who are needlessly suffering in my neighbourhood, my city, my country, continent and especially around the world.
Somehow we end up leaving this all up to egomaniacal Politicians, who once in office, almost always succumb to the status quo and dig us in a little deeper every single day.
Most of us HATE the way that the World operates
Most of us HATE the way that the World operates
but LOVE People..
some of them anyway.
We have come to realise that CHANGE
comes from the implementation of IDEAS 
that an individual or small dedicated group decides to pursue.
Every paradigm shift in History has been instigated by people like Adolf Hitler
(*who apparently did love? Eva Braun)
to Paul
of Tarsus who spread his new brand of Judaism throughout the Roman Empire.
of Tarsus who spread his new brand of Judaism throughout the Roman Empire.A handful of people who were determined to change the world...
'just did it'!
for better and for worse!
Are you Bono or Geldof?
Are you Bono or Geldof?
i think globally and act locally. i live this consciously. i don't need a commune or a sticker on my car to do it, either.
ReplyDeletebono makes my butt itch.
beautiful, Don.
first nations,
ReplyDeleteum er
in an effort to correct some grammar and not sound like such a sanctimonious tedious blowhard twat I inadvertently took out all of the sentimental 'beautiful' part..D'OH!
and yes I had erased the script on WORD already..
anyway thanks.
Since I 'think in Globs and act Loco' my efforts to change the world have yet to manifest into a tangible accomplishment...but stranger things have happened!
never mind...
ReplyDeleteI found it...
carry on...
I am definitely Geldof
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Because he organized the first televised world hunger telethon (Live-aid) and unlike Bono he refuses to neither court or condemn politicians for their actions on eliminating world hunger.
also unlike Bono he virtually sacrificed his musical career in trying to elminate world hunger, with the expenses he made in setting up Live-Aid.
An almost true real life martyr to the cause of helping the poor
Hi scott,
ReplyDeleteIn many ways Geldof is The EDGE!
He lambastes knuckle dragging politicians and isn't the polished bon vivant that Bono has become.
We probably need both styles to keep us honest and you may catch more flys with honey than with crapola but atleast they are both utilizing their fame for something worthwhile...
hats off to both of them!
Well said HE. I guess I'm Geldof. Like First Nations I act locally - but also globally. Every little bit helps. Or so I tell myself while I sadly marvel at the ability of human beings to destroy themselves and others.
ReplyDeleteGoogle is googling Darfur - have you seen that?
Like First Nations and others, I think Globally and act Locally.
ReplyDeleteI was raised in a household that recycled, had a compost pile and a vegetable garden. My Mother, who was exceptionally talented, took "old" clothes and made them "new" by cutting them apart and making clothes for me & my brothers when we were kids.
She kinda sounds like a hippy, but she wasn't, she was a farm girl, and the oldest of 9. She never had the "luxury" of wasting ANYTHING!
I do what I can, but in reality, it doesn't feel like much.
I'm a lover not a fighter (that's the best I can do with one hand).
ReplyDeleteAnyone can go on protest march with a bellyful and a coolbag full of beers. Try and go on hunger strike when your bones are showing through.
ReplyDeleteYes, I like Geldof because he does come across as genuine and he seems to know what he's talking about because he foams at the mouth when he speaks about Africa.
I am not anti or pro either Bono Or Geldof... Bono Is a self important wanker by all accounts, but you cannot fault his heart and actions... He does promote awareness of the evils in the world. For that he will have my respect.
ReplyDeleteBob Geldof is in a similar vein...
A stat that always makes me feel ill: The western world spends on cosmetics enough to wipe out world debt... A horrible thought.
Money on animals makes sense, animals are much easier to market than people, animals are cuter and furrier. People just look thin an unkempt.
In terms of money... A system which must continually grow is fundementaly flawed.. Imagine to sustain a balloon if you kept having to increase its size to keep it alive, eventually it will pop. We are headed for a financial train wreck.
Thanks for a hopeful post in a world which has reached new heights of apathy
Whew, HE, great post super thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteBob Geldof and Bono are important because they're media celebrities and people listen to them.
I'd like to say I'm both of them because I think we need both of them...Geldof seems more real and committed to me, but then Bono is more talented and famous, yet he's Mr. Photo Op with Clinton and Bush.
They're both highly motivated and visible, but it's already been shown that they're just some part of world consciousness.
They're still ignored, both by the politicians and super corporations and by the public, for the most part.
The Bushes, etc., don't care about world consciousness. They don't care whether we know what they're doing, because we think we have no power to do anything about it.
And until we get a collective consciousness going, until we get it out of the political realm and the boardrooms and into the streets -- until we get it from the Whitehouse to the Outhouse -- nothing will change.
The only thing that changes anything is when the people figure out they've had enough, en masse.
Sorry, I'm runnin' on. How Bush hasn't been impeached or lynched by the U.S. population marching in the millions or by university kids taking over university campuses, I don't know.
If I had to pick, I'd be Geldof. It's all about the ideals and the actions. Nothing else matters.
I pick Geldof, even though I'll never see him the same way after the mess with Michael Hutchence.
ReplyDeleteI still don't like Mondays.
I've been on the street quite some times such as, one example, for collecting signatures to get zoning plans changed that were going to erase a town and the surrounding farmer land + nature from the map to make room for industry. The indifference of most people is stunningly shocking, that's what I learned then. And I still haven't figured out how that can be changed. About freedom and improving rights in countries where this is a serious problem, a woman once said to me "Freedom means that I have the freedom to decide not to help" and that wasn't even about money.
ReplyDeleteI need to get back into this to say how much Hildegarde's comment brings it all home, about what the issue really is: indifference.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant comment, Hildie.
OK, Homer, you can have your blog back.
I'm neither, I'm me. A housewife with two children who often cries and shakes her head and feels completely helpless when it comes to what's going on in the world.
ReplyDeleteMy children are being raised with open hearts and open minds. As they grow they will know the truth about what's happening and my hope is that they will contribute in some way. I'm trying to be the best person I can be, a good example for my children. I don't have the brains to make a huge difference, but I try and help whoever I can. Gotta start somewhere.
This is what I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm like Geldof. The world is fucked, and there isn't enough willpower globally to change a thing.
So what can one do? I don't know. Volunteer or something. Pick up garbage. But in the grand scheme of things, nothing you or I do will make a difference in the long run.
That isn't to say we shouldn't try. We should still be good people.
But the world is getting worse and worse, and is there any sign of that changing? I'd say no.
Im neither. I admire their work but I havent even done 1% of what they have done.
ReplyDeleteIm just a girl...living one day at a time. I want the world to have peace and think LOVE. But I know nothing I do will make a big change in this world in my lifetime. The knowledge of that is making me live my life the best way possible, making a difference in atleast one person's life. That's good enough for me.
Thought-provoking post mate.
Keshi.
I would have to say that I'm both of them, and that I have great respect for both of them for what they do. Bono was out here a few months ago and was so passionate about reducing third world debt that I really thought:you just might make that happen.
ReplyDeleteI just came here for the hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
ReplyDeletethe trouble is these guys bust their balls and for what?
ReplyDeletethe governments do nothing all talk no action.
resistance is futile.
sigh!
laura elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteGoogle is googling Google have you seen that?
Speaking of Darfur..Speilberg is getting crapola for helping the Chinese with the Olympic Ceremony because China of course is protecting it's Oil interests in Sudan and ixnays every UN attempt to rattle the Sudanese Government with it's veto.
blazngfyre,
It all adds up. I completely understand the mentality behind fixing stuff and regifting..our families do it all of the time.
laurie,
I am quite certain that one handed loving is something that most of us can relate to.
cream,
You make an excellent point about boutique protesters who think that it's cool and trendy to get onboard.
When I see those idiots looting and burning vehicles to 'stick it to the man' it makes me want to grab a nightstick!
Haven't they ever watched Gandhi?
aidan,
Brilliant.
Animals deserve to be treated humanely and it makes me crazy when I see dancing bears in Afghanistan or Shark Fin Soup or Rhinoceros Horn dagger handles or Puppy Mills or Ivory products...I would make owning a Dog as difficult as acquiring a Drivers License...but we need to fix the self destructing financial vortex that is sucking the life out of people around the globe and educate the world that killing elephants or tigers so that they can get a boner is beyond f**king stupid!!
...most of those atrocities are the result of some poor bastard just trying to feed his family...if that happened then they wouldn't have to shoot poachers.
withered within,
It is good to see you back ranting about Dubya..go google sociopath and read the argument that one fellow makes that Dubya is a certifiable example..it is scary as hell.
shelley,
Yes that was a bizarre little mess indeed. I know that life in that fastlane is always looking for the next form of stimulation..but really..nothing succeeds like excess!
hildegarde,
Excellent!
Modern humans are still scared little monkeys deep down and living in this complex society overwhelms most of us. The remark that woman made about the freedom to do nothing is an excellent example of how completely overtaken many people feel about the gigantic obstacles that our culture has created. Paralyzed with anxiety.
christine,
Sooner or later you will find an avenue that will force you to respond. You and I are both in the process of forming future conscientious citizens and that is a super important contribution...
in case you haven't noticed there are far too many parents out there who are NOT taking this seriously.
geldofianblogger,
You are spot on..the world is 'pooched' and it is getting worse... although sometimes I think that it has always been this horrible and now that we have such incredible instant access to information that we are only more aware of how 'intercoursed' this place is.
You're right...just do your part and try to not make it any worse!
keshiroo,
You are more than just a girl and I know for certain that your big heart forces you to act upon instances of injustice when you see it. You are a textbook 'people person' and thank heavens for that.
lee,
The squeaky wheel gets the oil and there is nothing as powerful as celebrity at this point in time.
With 6 Billion plus people scurrying about if anyone can get noticed on a global level like Bono and lend his fame to influence concern and attention to those left behind by the aftermath of Colonialism and it's subsequent rebranding as Globalism,
then bravo!
mj,
What can I offer you? You must be exhausted...try these..'MMM'..I have a lovely bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac '86 ooh lala c'est formidable!
steve,
You should see if you could convince Chopper to address the United Nations..that would be priceless!
I used to be more like GG Allin, but now I feel more like Syd Barret or Jandek, only much more obscure.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm kinda like keshi and christine (sans children). I was big on making a difference on a global scale during my high school and university days, but I feel like I've been beaten down. My efforts seemed to make no difference and it became frustrating. I don't know how to make a difference and I don't know where to start.
ReplyDeleteI take it back - I'm nothing like keshi and christine. That would be insulting to them.
Wonderful post. I always read your posts very quickly, because that's how I imagine you speak - full of passion and trying to get so many words out per second.
By the way, is that a picture of your son? It's an absolutely gorgeous photo!
Yeah right!......
ReplyDeleteHarden the F**k up!
aww Im not so soure abt that but to hear that abt me from someone as great as u r was HEAVEN. ty :)
ReplyDeleteKeshi.
**sure
ReplyDelete:):)
Keshi.
I never got around posting about my favourite rock stars.
ReplyDeleteSigh.
Better you than me.
Too bad! I composed a Jim Dandy lil' flower pot of a response but
ReplyDeletethe G*ddampt browser just belched a lusty burp, and scarfed the letters up, lickety-split.
I'm uninspired, even though this is
great post. Oi, Donn, ou est le f*cking bar?
brilliant post dude- exactly why i gave you the "thinking blogger" award!
ReplyDeletekeshi, keshi, keshi!
ReplyDeleteFlattery will get you everywhere.
gautami,
C'mon you little closet metalhead!
I am still waiting to her all about your musical influences and I demand to see a picture of you in your leathers!
grumblosity!
Damn! Name your poison Sir? The first fifteen on on the house.
ANGEL!
You are a doll!
I mean gosh..ahem..really?
That was very thoughtful of you and hopefully this will help me to overcome my shyness.