In an amazing U-turn (that will cause jaws to drop on many cynical anarchist anti-capitalist types who were so quick to criticise the well meaning but slightly deluded ex-pop star during his G8 debacle), Sir Bob Geldof has finally seen the light...
In a press conference today in London, Bob Geldof offered his humblest apologies for having been misguided in his alliances over the last year and gave in to widespread calls for him to "give us YOUR fucking money!"
Geldof pledged to donate his own personal fortune, which, (surprisingly for such a scruffy individua) amounts to over £678 million along with lots of rather nice property and cars. More importantly he also swore he would use his new found influence within the corporate world and leaders of the industrial west to demand that imports of food from famine stricken Kenya be stopped immediately!
Okay, so I exaggerated a little, he didn't say he'd hand over all of his £678 million. In fact he hasn't offered any of his own money at all or even mentioned the plight of Kenya at all from what I can tell. I made it up - put it down to wishful thinking.
However, Kenya is suffering another drought and people there are starving while G8 countries are importing Kenya's cash crops.
“We have never seen anything as bad as this,” said Mr Abdi, a 40-year herder who has lost everything he owned, 100 goats and 200 cows since the rains failed again in December. Denaba Mohamed saw most of her fifteen camels die of hunger and fears for the health of her children. Her 14-month-old girl weighs only 4.6kg, half the normal weight for a child that age.
The devastating drought has left 5.4 million people in desperate need of food but the grain silos in Kenyas ports are full ready for export and the worlds affluent enjoying all the usual benefits of the 'free' market.
Although less than a fifth of its land is arable, Kenya is a net food exporter. While the west send token 'aid', grain silos are still full from last year’s harvest. Despite the drought, the government forecasts a surplus of 62,500 metric tonnes of maize next year.
So why are 27% of children malnourished?
Why is land being used to grow crops for export (usually for animal feed in europe) rather than being used to feed the local inhabitants?
And why isn't the humanitarian hero Geldof handing over his millions and demanding that the west stop stealing food from babies mouths in the guise of free market and world trade?
Geldof pledged to donate his own personal fortune, which, (surprisingly for such a scruffy individua) amounts to over £678 million along with lots of rather nice property and cars. More importantly he also swore he would use his new found influence within the corporate world and leaders of the industrial west to demand that imports of food from famine stricken Kenya be stopped immediately!
Okay, so I exaggerated a little, he didn't say he'd hand over all of his £678 million. In fact he hasn't offered any of his own money at all or even mentioned the plight of Kenya at all from what I can tell. I made it up - put it down to wishful thinking.
However, Kenya is suffering another drought and people there are starving while G8 countries are importing Kenya's cash crops.
“We have never seen anything as bad as this,” said Mr Abdi, a 40-year herder who has lost everything he owned, 100 goats and 200 cows since the rains failed again in December. Denaba Mohamed saw most of her fifteen camels die of hunger and fears for the health of her children. Her 14-month-old girl weighs only 4.6kg, half the normal weight for a child that age.
The devastating drought has left 5.4 million people in desperate need of food but the grain silos in Kenyas ports are full ready for export and the worlds affluent enjoying all the usual benefits of the 'free' market.
Although less than a fifth of its land is arable, Kenya is a net food exporter. While the west send token 'aid', grain silos are still full from last year’s harvest. Despite the drought, the government forecasts a surplus of 62,500 metric tonnes of maize next year.
So why are 27% of children malnourished?
Why is land being used to grow crops for export (usually for animal feed in europe) rather than being used to feed the local inhabitants?
And why isn't the humanitarian hero Geldof handing over his millions and demanding that the west stop stealing food from babies mouths in the guise of free market and world trade?
Comments
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Food for thought
18.01.2006 22:32
This has happened many times throughout history ( Ireland /Sudan/Congo etc etc etc.) - The African countries pre-colonialism were noted for there abundance of food. They had food storage to last several years through adverse weather conditions/crop failiure.
This was before the imposition of cash crop monocultures for the west and colonial taxation. The rich collabarateurs always get fed along with the Western consumer and people starve.
Nothing to do with 'overpopulation '- another racist western capitalist/colonialist/aid NGO myth - after all ,as an example, the Netherlands are more densely populated and produce less food!
Now you may question whether fair trade is really 'fair trade';fairer perhaps, but not really fair is it?
People kicked off their land ( particular the best quality land which is now in ther hands of a minority comprising transnationals, rich foreigners, large farming institutions and other corrupt individuals ), made to farm for the west and taxed and starved for the privilige. Why should they be growing your fucking coffee when the land was robbed from them in the first place, followed by the imposition of western currency, rents and comodity trading?
For more info read:-
How the Other Half Dies or GFood For Beginners by Susan George
Lords of Poverty: The Power, Prestige, and Corruption of the International Aid Business by Graham Hancock
The Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity
..and then bash Sir ( knighthoods sound a bit colonial don't they? ) Bob over the head with his guitar and get him to wake up from his egofest.
Make fat NGOs history
Bob Geldof is (and was always) a lying scumbag.
19.01.2006 11:33
What confounds me is that Geldof supported their ideas as a brave step forward, which is reidiculous! "Aid" (in reality only charity - there's a difference to my mind) was dependant on the opening up of markets, liberalising public services etc. etc. ad. nauseum....
The most ludicrous hypocricy of all this was that the little white "Make Poverty History" booklet (which I managed to pick up from a Bob Geldof-inspired propaganda compaign in Edinburgh), endorsed by Geldof himself, decried such measures as a huge contributor to the plight of these people.
This either reveals Geldof as incredibly naive, or as a sickeningly egotistical hypocrite. And to turn around and be astonished that people like us dont think he's doing a good job, and are amazed he should take a position advising the tories, is idiocy in the extreme.
So what is it Bob? Are you a liar? Or just incredibly thick?
Elliot R.
Bob
19.01.2006 18:19
He is a very malicious and greedy individual who cares little for the hungry of this world. To put so much effort into legitimising the global elite's power over the rest of us is a very clever, yet very evil act on geldof's part. To distract everyone's attention away from the G8 consolidation of power and onto a rock concert is borderline psychopathic. egotistical? you betcha!
Actually we (the peeps) are being groomed to accept Geldof as a folk-hero - He will soon be getting involved with international politics, probably the UK New Labour party. The peeps will be ecstatic exclaiming how happy they are that finally "someone who cares" is involved with politics. This will be after Iraq has come under western control again and the war officially ended. People will need to look somewhere for hope - Geldof will step up. But from inside the belly of the beast, Geldof will continue to perpetuate the insidious and destructive neo-liberal agenda of mass privatisation of the planet and her resources.
Be very wary of this man. very wary.
Sean