[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Ebola is infectious and there currently is no cure.

Bob Geldof is not not partly responsible for anyones attitude, personal, cultural,societal and educational standards are. Nor is he responsible in any way for the political constructs in Africa.

It is not hugely infectious, not like influenza for example, it does not spread easily and if the nations where it had first took hold had decent infrastructure, it would have been easily contained. There is no real question about that.

He is not personally responsible for the political problems in Africa but as a very prominent figure constantly bleating about the continent, he absolutely IS responsible for the attitudes that he is helping to spread. Attitudes that contribute to those political problems.

If he is not responsible then he is nothing more than a bull in a china shop. Which is probably pretty accurate. I'm sure he has no idea that his vanity projects also cause harm. I don't suppose he particularly cares.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

It is not hugely infectious, not like influenza for example, it does not spread easily and if the nations where it had first took hold had decent infrastructure, it would have been easily contained. There is no real question about that.

He is not personally responsible for the political problems in Africa but as a very prominent figure constantly bleating about the continent, he absolutely IS responsible for the attitudes that he is helping to spread. Attitudes that contribute to those political problems.

If he is not responsible then he is nothing more than a bull in a china shop. Which is probably pretty accurate. I'm sure he has no idea that his vanity projects also cause harm. I don't suppose he particularly cares.

Well thank you for stating the obvious.
He is not a 'prominent' figure though is he? and I suspect in the African political arena he is a virtual unknown. But don't let that colour your view.
They need aid, he helps raise awareness of this and we see the efforts already made in the news, I'm sorry I'm as cynical as the next person but I can't see why nothing is better than something if you have the influence and the means in this instance to make a difference.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Well thank you for stating the obvious.
He is not a 'prominent' figure though is he? and I suspect in the African political arena he is a virtual unknown. But don't let that colour your view.
They need aid, he helps raise awareness of this and we see the efforts already made in the news, I'm sorry I'm as cynical as the next person but I can't see why nothing is better than something if you have the influence and the means in this instance to make a difference.

Bob Geldof isn't a prominent figure when it comes to Western attitudes towards Africa? Over the last 30 years he's surely one of the MOST prominent figures... Certainly in Europe. The point isn't him being prominent in Africa itself but rather that African countries will never pull themselves out of 3rd world status while the rest of the world looks upon them as hot, dirty, starving, infected little hell-holes and Geldof and his ilk, no matter how well meaning (although it should be evident that I personally am very dubious of his motives) absolutely hammer that image home. It's in the very lyrics of the song and it's all over every speech he makes. "We must help them! We must help these poor creatures in their filthy hovel with our money. Give me the money so that I can help them!", he cries, with his eyes suitably teary and his hands literally wringing.

This does not help Africa or Africans. It never has. The money raised might help a few people in the short term but it doesn't matter a jot if the deeper issues are being constantly worsened by the messages and images used to "encourage" us.