JD and the Democrats agree on an issue!!

Hey little Johnny/JD,

Are you going to compliment the Democrats on this??

I didn't think so........

Bono shouldn't be shocked, Pelosi's lots of things but she's not stupid. If they want to keep congress they won't start opening the checkbook for every star that's shilled for the DNC over the last few years.

Will someone please keep that a**hole out of our country? I'm tired of hearing his name and his pontificating crap.

Results of other policy meetings with celebrities-

Mel Gibson lobbied to have an official US delegation sent to the Iranian Holocaust deniers conference and was told no.

Madonna lobbied to have the State Department negotiate treaties with African countries removing all adoption restrictions for foriegn rich celebrities and was told no.

Linda-

Yeah, lobbying for the poor and the sick, what an A**hole! He should concentrrate on trashing hotel rooms like all those other reock stars.

"But I still haven't found what I'm looking for..." ♬

Sorry, Bono.

The Dems are more serious about balancing the budget than the Rubber Check Republicans are.

Ask China. They're loaded.

...but what about the children!?!?!

Tony - we have enough poor and sick in our own country that we don't deal with. Until our countries problems are addressed/resolved, I guess I have a real problem sending money to countries who do nothing to prevent their own problems, expecting others to cure their ills. And what type of messianic complex does this idiot have 'demanding' that countries cough up money and, even worse, why do politicians even see him and continue to feed that monster-size ego?

Maybe next time,send in "The Edge",more Nancy's type.

After 6 years of Bush giving our tax dollars to every nut ball Evangelical that walked thru the door,you'd think some thank you's are in order.

Ahh liberalism, its a great thing until it runs out of your money. The dems only know how to spend your money, not their own. Do as I say, not as I do.

Linda-

You do realize that the US and other developed countries have done a great deal to create the terrible conditions in the third world, don't you?

Ahh liberalism, its a great thing until it runs out of your money. The dems only know how to spend your money, not their own. Do as I say, not as I do.

Posted by: Terry | Dec 19, 2006 1:10:51 PM

Wait... the article was about now Pelosi WASN'T going to open up the bank for this becuase Republicans have squandered it all. Do you wingers even know what you're talkign about anymore?

Terry,

The Liberals just said NO to spending YOUR MONEY.

Are you going to thank us???

How does it feel to be in the MINORITY PARTY ???

Please enlighten me as to what we and other developed countries have done to create the AIDS problem - which is what he is looking for money for. Please enlighten me as to what these third world nations are doing to help themselves besides accusing the United States and other 'developed' countries of shortchanging them. The atmosphere of entitlement has spread around the world and the United States, who is hated by just about everyone, is routinely expected to support everyone in the world.

Linda--I agree 100%-Let's take care of our own first,like getting some money together,so JohnE can move out of his mothers basement and then she can lead a normal and healthy life soon.
Paulo

Linda's entirely right on this. 1.) Bono is a self-righteous, sanctimonious A**hole (I don't know when it became okay to swear but only use stars to cover up a few letters so everyone knows exactly what you're saying, but I'll play along). How much of his substantial personal fortune has he given to the cause? Until he can spell it out exactly he needs to shut up 2.) There's no guarantee foreign aid will EVER get to these children it's intended to help, especially with the weak governments in the Sudan, Somalia and other places where huge chunks of this money would go. A billion that will probably line the pockets of corrupt strongment? Kudos to you, Nancy, for saying "I don't think so, Mr. McPhisto."

Linda-

How about the fact that we have drug companies making enormous profits from AIDS related drugs, while many millions of sick people in Africa cannot afford the drugs they need to keep them alive?

Am I the only person who remembers that Bono is a rock star. I wonder if Ray Manzerik, Paul Shaffer, John Lodge or any other rock musician could get this much political attention. Let's leave Bono to MTV, then get on with politics.

and yet they keep on screwing and passing it on.

Linda, your compassion for fellow suffering human beings overwhelms me.

Tony, your overbearing feelgoodism and cluelessness overwhelms the rest of us. Why don't you and Bono come up with some kind of plan to help these people that isn't "let's throw billions of dollars at the problem."

I'm not so sure this was a good idea on the part of the new Democratic, eghemm, leadership. When a public justice cause like Bono's catches such momentum as to gain even the majority of Republican support, it can't possibly be in good form to curtail their efforts. Once again this proves the Democratic stance on foreign policy and equality truly are that of an "Acrobat"- say one thing, do another. For Christmas..sorry..for Holiday this year all I ask for is that the party find an identity that entails more than hating all things Republican, especially when they suport a liberal cause.

We want our rock stars to sing about injustice, as long as they never try to actually DO something about it.

How dare Bono.

has anyone heard from Sting, Prince, Pink, Ice-t, Slowhand, Flea or The Edge ??

how can we possibly do anything without first hearing from these ONE-NAMED celebrities ??

also -- what does Pee Wee Herman and Count Chocula think about all of this ???

Saying Bono should fix Africa with his own money is like saying you and I should balance our state budgets with ours. Yes, he has a few millions, but the problems in Africa will require something more like billions and a coordinated work force.

tom,

You get on thin ice dissing Slowhand

Ohh, Bill I'm sooo hurt! Feelgoodism? Oh no, not that!

Peace on earth, Good will toward men!

Linda and Bill got it right about Bono the jerk.
Bono is a big phony jackass. He is totally out of touch with reality, and he thinks he is 100% correct about everything he says. Basically, he is the male equivalent of Oprah. If these two used just half of their wealth, they could then oversee in person how much it could actually help out their favorite humanitarian cause. Although, we all know that's to much like right. Finally, they both need to quit begging for other peoples' money to fund their causes and just shut-up and use their own money.

Its nice to relate this to the Democrats Vs. Republicans debate when now millions of people who needed our help are going to suffer from lack of medicine.

A tragedy. It has nothing to do with MTV, CNN, FOX or the food channel. It has to do with people who need help.

Bono doesn't realize that shrubboy spent all our money and then some and we don't have anything to give. We are broke and have a huge mess to clean up and the dems have much more important things to do besides fete Bono.

Nick, I'm not saying Bono could fix the problem by putting his own money up, I'm saying the U.S. spending a ridiculous sum (with a B!) won't fix it, either! But if Bono cares as much as he claims to, he'd put at least 5% of what he's asking Uncle Sam to part with up. That'll be $50 million from The Fly (5% of $1 billion). If you don't think Bono has that kind of scratch look at the touring receipts from U2's last little $162 a ticket tour and remember that the band and its manager split profits five ways.

Coordinated work force? What are you talking about? Do you think the U.S. will have any say about how our money's spent once it gets there? In places like Somalia? Ahh, you're funny, Nick.

I'll say it again, three cheers for the speaker. Foreign aid is one of the biggest scams going in the developing world and all it usually does is make strongmen and warlords more powerful.

p.s. Bono should be more worried about the work his band puts out, too. U2 got the second word right with that "Atomic" album.

Neil and John E.,

My bad. I guess it was reflexive action. But someone should check Pelosi's tempature or wait until she is really in charge.

an interesting turn of events....does it mean anything? will this be Congress' attitude in 2007?

I have to agree with Linda. We have hundreds of thousands of people right here in the United States who can't afford life saving drugs. Thousands are on a waiting list in most states for ADAP (Aids Drugs Assistance Program) and they can't get the drugs they need to stay alive. We have a current Congress that has put off and put off re-newing the Ryan White CARE Act....and Bono wants a Billion dollars to fight AIDS elsewhere??? Give me a break!

Tony, thank you for illustrating here the ridiculousness of orthodox left wing causes. While giving good will to others might make you and other bleeding hearts feel good, Tony, there's no guarantee it'll actually help them. Especially when it probably won't ever get to those in need.

Give a man down on his luck ten dollars and he'll eat for a day. Give him a skill or a job and he'll never want for money again. Africa is down on its luck and there are millions of people that live there. Without accountability what'll Bozo's $1 billion do for them? Not much.

Oh, but it'll make you and your ilk feel good because you're doing something. Even if it's not the right thing. That's really all that's important to you and Bono, isn't it?

good point C.morris

E.C. please forgive me

While I agree w/Speaker Pelosi's position at this time,I marvel @ the callousness of the right in regards to a serious World problem.

Not one mention of the 450 billion thrown @ Iraq.

Millions and millions in cold cash handed over to whom? For what? No oversight ? No complaints from the right.

Thank God I'm a Democrat.

Well, Bill at least Bono is trying to do something for those people. You don't seem to have a whole lot to suggest. Just tell them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps right?

Approximately 2.1 million people will die from aids in sub-saharan africa in 2006.
That's as compared to approximately 30,000 in north america and western europe combined.

http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm

I really find it hard to believe that you and Linda find it so terrible that someone wants to try and do something about that tragedy.

Loon, I'm right there with you about the billions handed over to Iraq with no checks and balances. It was and is a mess. Thank God Pelosi isn't following suit. See, I can be nice.

Tony, you're still missing the point. "Doing something," whether it's right or wrong doesn't solve ANY problem. You have to fight the problem the right way, and if the last 20 years of foreign aid to Africa has proven anything it's that throwing billions at the problem is the wrong way to go about it. How many times have we forgiven third world debt only to see those debts climb up again? Bono getting his money would essentially be just a photo op.

There has to be clear goals tied to foreign aid. In places like Somalia that would include birth control, criminalizing the spread of AIDs from village to village and tougher enforcement and penalization of rape. Until the local governments become stable and put all that in line, our money will be better spent solving the rampant problems of homelessness, poverty and the spread of AIDS here in this country. I know that you may not understand this up in you and Bono's Ivory Tower, but we have problems here, too.

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Slowhand host a Crossroads festival, get mega-talented performers and donate everything to The Crossroads Drug Rehab? And does it without the arrogance and pomposity that Bono displays? Don't mess with Slowhand.

"good point C.morris
E.C. please forgive me
Posted by: tom | Dec 20, 2006 8:05:56 AM"

Are you little t tom the doc, or another 'tom' with a little t ?

Just wondering.
There seem to be two 'tom' posters with decidedly different styles.

Give me a break Bill. You're not concerned about doing it right. You're not concerned at all. What's a few million more dead africans?

There has to be multiple approaches to a problem this size. Systemic change and improvement in Africa is a part of it obviously. (And we don't seem to be interested in doing anything to foster that kind of change either.)But that will take decades. Decades, when people are dying at a rate of millions a year. In the meantime something has to be done. Is aid perfect? Hell no. It's first aid. But do you deny first aid to a critically ill patient while the long term treatment takes effect.

Tony - do you feel this badly about the homeless and 'food deprived' (our government's new name for the hungry)in our country? Do you understand that the people funding these 'feel good' programs are the American taxpayers who in many cases are living in poverty? Where is your concern for our own people? We need to clean up our own house before we clean up someone elses.

little t tom the MD that inappropriately included the name slowhand with some wannabees

thanks c.m. for correcting me on that

also check out yesterday's responses - still going

p.s. and fyi to c.morris and music fans

as an MD and a single dad , I only have time for 2 hobbies

THIS

and

guitar -- I play some pretty mean blues

There has to be clear goals tied to foreign aid.

Posted by: Bill | Dec 20, 2006 9:46:53 AM

Bill meant to say in Iraq also. Right Bill?

Tony, can you read my mind? Are you one of those ESP people? Don't use your powers on me, okay? It's very rude to tell people they're not concerned about doing it right when they are.

The first aid won't do anything, Tony, when the disease is still running rampant across the body politic. I'll say it again, you and Bono have no guarantee that the money for drugs, birth control, food and medicine will ever get to the people who need the first aid. It'll most likely be used by local strongmen to buy AK-47s.

People are dying of homelessness, starvation and AIDs right here in the USA. And we can do something about that much more easily than we can in Sub-Saharan Africa where there's no accountability, everybody hates us, and there are people who still don't think twice about spreading disease as far and wide as possible. I am not AT ALL ashamed to say that the problems we have here in the USA should come first to our federal government.

You know what organization would be great at fostering systemic change and stopping the predators who spread this ugly disease? Could it be the UN? Oh, wait, the UN would have to be halfway competent and not a debating society to do that. Hmm, oil for food, peacekeeping that always fails to keep the peace. Yeah, not holding my breath on that one.

Loon, I've been clamoring for clear goals in Iraq since 2003. That's why I've continually supported McCain's call for more troops to accomplish those goals since he first said it two years ago.

Did you see Abizaid is stepping down? Maybe now we'll get the policy John wanted back then and finally get somewhere.

Yes, Linda I do feel that way about the poor in this country. We don't do enough for any of the poor.

But I also realize that even the poorest in this country are better off than the poorest of Africa.

My compassion for fellow human beings does not stop at our nations borders.

I'm sure the poorest in our country appreciate your compassion - that'll put food on their table and a roof over their head.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein will have a very merry Christmas with a year-end bonus worth an estimated 53.4 million dollars, a record for a Wall Street executive.

"Aids" "We can't worry about no stinkin aids".

Bush and Cheney are doing their touchdown dance!

I love how trying to help other people is considered "self-righteous" to some on here. I suppose Republican Hero Henry Hyde, who led the fight in the House for more AIDS funding to Africa, is also "self-righteous".

Tony,

It's fruitless to try to talk about these issues with these posters. When you try to help poor people in other countries they say we need to help the poor in our own country first. When you try to help the poor in our own country, they decry "socialist liberal Democrat welfare hand-outs". They're only satisfied with helping themselves.

Tony's compassion also doesn't stop at his wallet. He wants all the taxpayers' money, too.

Any idea how much (if any) Bono is asking from his own country's government? Or wouldn't it be worth piggy-backing (spelled piggy-banking) off of a country that isn't under the scrutiny of the world's press? I wonder how much revenue Bono has generated by all of this 'goodwill' publicity at the expense of the American people. My guess is that the man has made a huge profit off of whining, both in his lyrics and in his sanctimonious press relations, while raking in the bucks. But then I suppose someone with that much money must necessarily find another direction to point that golden finger, perhaps to assuage the conscience. And of course he will always find sycophants to defend his shrewdly paraded philanthropic 'honor'.

Hard to believe that conservatives, the new centrist democratic congressional leadership, and most democrats can all agree that a billion dollars, no strings attached, isn't a remedy for African starvation and AIDS and STILL far-left posters resort to saying not only that they're right and everyone else is wrong, but also that they're right because they have compassion and everyone else is heartless.

P.S.

It isn't Bono's effort toward helping the poor that generates criticism. In all truth, I am sure we all admire that effort. What engenders cynicism is his very public and nauseating sanctimony directed at a country that is already heavily 'taxed' (pun intended), particularly in terms of world opinion... Some of it deservedly, much of it not.

can anyone provide a link of BONO doing anything except his day job and photo ops ??

seriously -- can someone show me a photo of BONO swinging a hammer with Habitat for Humanity (like Jimmy and Roselyn Carter) or shoveling hurricane debris (like Dan and Marilyn Quayle) ???

anything at all ?????????

Bill,

Lets get something straight here. I can't speak for others, but I can speak for myself - I don't think that Pelosi should just start handing money out for these causes because it's true, the money should be going towards an organization that can prove they can do good work and be held accountable for it, and it's true that years of fiscal irresponsiblity has made it so we simply don't have the dollars to throw around. It is proper to question the means and the method and even the effectivness of this money on the problem.

What I object to is the questioning of the motives of Bono and those who share his beliefs. It's almost as if trying to help others is all of a sudden a bad thing. Some on here have even gone as far as to accuse Bono of malicously using this cause for self-promotion, when anyone with half-a-brain knows that he gains not a cent for his philantropy, and that it'd be far easier for him to just soak up his millions in his mansion in Ireland.

Last time I checked, compassion wasn't supposed to be a bad thing.

Neil-

For some folks around here the only group you should have compassion for is tax paying americans. If you can't solve every problem in the world without any money, that's just tough.

Linda - And how much food does your attacks on someone engaged in philanthropy put on the table?

Maybe you guys should check out what Bono is doing in Africa--with many, many other people--before judging him.

http://www.data.org/?gclid=CJXLzOvooYkCFRlmWAodgiJ7UQ

First, re: "he isn't even a U.S. citizen and isn't likely to affect many votes"
Bono speaks not only on his own behalf, but for the ONE Campaign, which boasts a membership of around 2.5 million Americans. There is real consituency for global AIDS funding in this country, and Bono's nationality is irrelevant to that fact.

Second, this is not a question whether the Dems will or will not spend this money. The question is what they will spend it on. It's not a matter of fiscal restraint, but rather funding priorities.

Third, Democrats and Republicans had already agreed in committee to increase AIDS and malaria funding. Since Congress failed to pass a new budget, spending levels revert to the previous year, which are considerably lower.

Neil,

Bono's compassion, which I also believe is sincere, is not in and of itself a bad thing. But there's been an equally untrue conjecture on this thread that claims people who question whether the U.S. should cough up the gigantic sum of $1 billion simply don't care about the plight of the poor and starving in AIDS-ravaged Africa. We do.

Trying to help others with no expectation of any return is the single best thing any American can do, whether they live here, Africa, or on Saturn.

What happens too much in politics these days is people of similar principles, such as you and I, can't agree on exactly HOW to help and maintain fiscal responsibility. Then it becomes a race to see who can accuse the other side of being wrong in the first place and accusations fly like "you don't care about the poor," and "you would spend other people's money without their permission," when in reality all both sides need to do is pull in their horns and come up with a better solution.

Just my perspective, that's all.

Looon, as usual, you make no sense. So the Goldman Sachs people are making a killing? The company is making good money and the stock market is strong, something that helps all working Americans. But how is a negative for Bush/Cheney that companies are making money and those like Goldman Sachs in which ALL the employees are making bonuses? I'm sorry, your Left wing Morons don't like it when everyone succeeds under capitalism, sort of goes against your broken record.

Anyway, I love all the left wing hate for Bono, a liberal. I actually admire what he does. He actually puts his money where his mouth is, actually goes to Africa to see first hand, and works with all politicians no matter the party to help those in need.

After decades of being people who believed in helping others, I find is amazing that so many hateful leftists are uninterested in freedom, democracy, helping others. This only proves my contention that Left wingers are the greatest danger to the survival of mankind.

Linda and Bill...if you think you can even begin to equate "poverty" in the US ( i.e. a whole bunch of people that have to go without cigarettes and beer...occassionaly) to the the extreme starvation and genocide that is going on in Africa you are so misinformed and dilluted that it boggles the mind. What Bono is really trying to do is to eradicate poverty so that we don't have forty "Middle Easts" as opposed to ONE right now. Poverty begets terrorism and extremism. Africa's extreme poverty is a national security issue of the highest order right now and it should be dealth with financially and militarily. Bono undertsands the long-term implications of this and what it means for the safety of our country. For as much as I hate this tool George Bush, he at least has the foresight to understand that economic inequility breeds hate. This "hate" will no doubt be directed towards the US. So the question remains, do we deal with it now or do we wait until we have a far greater problem on our hands. So if it's so difficult to feel compassion for the 6,000 children dying in ditches EVERY DAY in Africa, maybe your sense of self preservation might prevail and you might agree with Bono that dealing with this problem now will be much easier than later. Oh and for those of you who question a rock star's audacity to fight for the worlds poor, I would agree, why in the Hell do we need our rock stars to lead this fight when our world leaders should be doing their jobs!

Correction: The 1 billion he was asking was already promised before, not any kind of ridiculous demand as you seem to think.

And as a result, it might mean 1 million more children dying of malaria.

Bill

i understand where you are comming from. you keep saying that there is no guarentee the money will get to where it is going, and that so much has been spent with no results, but that was the past. please please please check out data.org if you are at all interested in being fully informed on the situation.

the accronym DATA originally stands for Debt, AIDS, Trade; Africa. it also stands for Democracy, Accountability, Transparency;Africa.
these debt breaks are not being given blindly. each country must meet anti-corruption standards in order to qualify for debt cancellation.

if you have don't have time to visit http://www.data.org , this is an excerpt from my 12th grade research assignment that summarizes what wish to say;

"Africa uses billions of dollars a year paying back old debts created by loans that were given and accepted irresponsibly, loans given by wealthy countries and other institution like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This is more money than what is being spent on healthcare and education in Africa put together. (DATA.org) In 1999 a campaign called the Jubilee 2000 Movement for Debt Relief [one of BOZO's efforts] lead to the world’s richest countries forgiving the debts of 32 African countries through the World Bank and IMF’s Highly Indebted Poor Countries program (HIPC). Many oppose this idea because they don’t believe that the results are tangible, (Theroux), but according to the Jubilee USA network, these countries qualified because of their ability to show improvement in macroeconomics performance, poverty reduction and public expenditure management. They were enrolled by showing that they could give themselves a standing start. Even though 18 countries have completed the program African nations were still paying off old debts. In 2005 the IMF, The World Bank and others forgave 100% of the debt owed to them by the countries enrolled in the HIPC program. The reports, since these groundbreaking cancellations where made, seem to show that debt relief is educations biggest ally. The DATA.org website shows how debt relief has turned Uganda, one of the first countries to show the effects of debt relief, upside down. It reports that twice as many children are now attending school and that the HIV infection trend has “reversed” from 14% back down to 5%. Several other countries were able to eliminate fees to attend school due to debt cancelation."

to whom ever made the point about the whole "give a man a fish" theory, here is your answer. the money helps to educate, educated people can better help themselves.

cheryl - went to your link -- all I saw was talk - very few photos even - lots of "statement's --- help me here - was I missing something (anyone can make a "statement")

seriously, has anyone ever seen BONO lift a finger (I mean literally) in a volunteer effort ???

can I please see one photo ?????

tom's independent statement on poverty policy

"we should all help our neighbors"

but I'm not a star -- YET

I don't think it's fair to jump on the 'well, these aid programs just don't work, therefore we shouldn't send any aid' argument so quickly. It would be one thing if we were talking about a specific plan and poking holes in it. This article simply mentions 'Aids Funding', we don't know if it's the best/worst managed program in the world. Granted, there is a history of badly spent money when it comes to Africa. Programs have improved somewhat since the infamous 1980s, however, and can continue to improve if an effort is made to track spending and progress.

Besides that, if that number of people were dying every day in America, there is no way on earth we'd stand around scratching our heads and saying "Weeeell...I don't know, that may not work. It might, but it might not. So let's just let them die". Yes, there are bound to be problems with any program, but that isn't a free pass to walk away from a situation.

Wow, a LOT of jaded people here. Bono has spent years in Africa dating back to the 80's. He did relief work there and attended clinics with people stacked three high in the bed waiting to die. I guarantee you he has 'lifted' a shovel - one of his big projects is digging wells to get clean water to villages. As if lifting a shovel or doing any physical labor would even compare to the spotlight he has helped shine on their cause. One of Bono's earmarks is spending the money where it does good and where it actually helps the people. His group does not send the money down the rabbit hole.

See links here to educate yourselves on his view and efforts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw9ZC1Y0LX8&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR7qHeJTxzU&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkr7Mj5DNdY

Ever since he and Cher broke up he's been a big nothing. And when they were a duo, she was carrying all the weight.

tom,

he doesn't have to lift a finger, he's a celebrity. I'm not being ironic. The most effective tool he has is his celebritiness (even if he is a 2nd stringer) not his hands. Bono LITERALLY lifting a finger would be only symbolic.

That said, I agree with the "teach a man to fish" concensus. There MUST BE accountability. I have no interest in stuffing the pockets of corrupt bureacrats or tin hat dictators.

Jessica, I agree that nations MUST "show improvement in macroeconomics performance, poverty reduction and public expenditure management" before the see a dime of ours. Otherwise we would not only be wasting our tax dollars, we'd also not be solving their immediate problem; plus we'd also likely be supporting brutally oppresive regime, ironically just making people's lives worse.

To be more specific, there also must be concerted efforts by these nations (not just in Africa, BTW) at cultural change. They must address AIDS education, the need for testing, the recklessness of casual sex with prostitutes. These places typically have enormous sex trades, often exploiting children. The general populations support the sex trade while the governments look the other way. If that doesn't turn around, then I say no money from us.

Juanito, add education for women to that list. Any thinking westerner would be shocked by the way some of these "cultures" treat their wives, daughters and mothers as chattel.

Jessica, a lot of that stuff sounds great but if you look at the facts, the reason most of those nations are making the strides they are isn't because of foreign aid alone, it's because of innovations such as microcredit. Without microcredit, an invention that was borne of Pakistani Economist Muhammad Yunus, I'd wager that these nations would be in even a deeper hole today. DATA is great and the checks and balances are definitely good, but I just don't think the real solution to the problems of these nations will be borne of foreign aid and western intervention. All the real progress has been local. The people closest to the problem, such as Muhammad Yunus, have the best understanding and ability to effect change.

I gave the UN quite a slap earlier in this thread and I still think they deserve it, overall, but I have to say that microcredit is one of the best things that ever came out of the UN and it's helped millions. This is the system working as it should.

Are you all kidding me!!!!

All Bono is doing is trying to help Poverty and Aids strickent continent. Other Countries have put up money.

As far as politics goes Rep. or Dem they are all scum. Saving us money!! Where every politician is a crook, liar scum.

Bono has a heart Politicians Suck Right and Left!!!

Bill,

Hear, hear to educating women and equal rights overall. My list was by no means complete. And I'm glad you gave a nod to Muhammad Yunus. He's a hero of mine.

In my opinion, nurturing small local economies is the single most important thing to do. Everything else is tied to that -- population control, equal rights, education, fighting AIDS, environmentalism... whatever. Get people on their feet and sustaining themselves FIRST, and then the quality of life in general terms will begin to improve.

Right, Bill, that must begin locally. We can't make any of that happen as outsiders.

sounds like all the cons. are backing the Dems on this one.

happy new year to BONO and the swamp -- see ya all in 2007