U2 star to be knighted

[Red1]

I am really surprised to see all the disdain for this happening.

I have to wonder if all of the people posting in this thread have any idea of the amount of time and energy this man spends helping others.

He isn't being knighted because of the music he made with U2 although being in his position as a celebrity has made it easier for him to get his point across to the masses.? A point, in my opinion that needs to be made.

Please check out The One Campaign and Project Red before you judge.

http://www.one.org/

There are people all around the world that dedicate their lives to helping people in need.? How many Unicef / Oxfam etc etc workers have you seen get a knighthood.? That's what I have problem with.

Then your problem should be with knighthoods, no Bono, no?

That's true to an extent.  However, I also have a major problem with Bono and think his arrogance and self-righteousness when discussing the 'work' he does is always in bad taste and done for selfish reasons. 

[Bandita]

What is selfish about feeding the hungry and getting medicine for those who have AIDS?

[Danny Top Hat]

don't forget Live 8, I watched the whole DVD today. Those concerts achieved a lot.

Did they?  I was always under the impression that Tony Blair went to the G8 summit, said "oh, they're holding some concerts about this apparently" and left it at that.  What progress was actually made there?

I'm not saying there weren't good intentions behind it, mind.

My problem is definately with knighthood, not with Bono.  It's become a total farce now - it seems just about any celebrity can be a knight now.  Big fucking deal.

[freedom78]

There's something about a widely respected rock musician who has the ear of presidents, prime ministers, and kings that makes me truly yearn for the days when "rock n' roll star" and "widely respected" wouldn't be uttered in the same paragraph.

And please PLEASE PLEASE could someone buy Bono a new fucking pair of sunglasses! 

[Bandita]

There's something about a widely respected rock musician who has the ear of presidents, prime ministers, and kings that makes me truly yearn for the days when "rock n' roll star" and "widely respected" wouldn't be uttered in the same paragraph.

Interesting that you say that because Paul McCartney always seems to show up at the events.  I am sure John Lennon would too if he could.  I can't think of many musicians I respect more who were around for the beginnings of real "rock and roll."

I also thought that Rock and Roll was a music form that was created to rebel against the system and to yearn for change.

But I digress, Bono didn't ask to be knighted, so shouldn't the issue be with the powers that be that make these kinds of decisions and not with the man himself?

I guess I just don't see this as a problem as you do.  If someone has the ear of so many and is using it to tell them something important that they need to know and react to, why is this a bad thing?

[Robman?]

don't forget Live 8, I watched the whole DVD today. Those concerts achieved a lot.

Did they?  I was always under the impression that Tony Blair went to the G8 summit, said "oh, they're holding some concerts about this apparently" and left it at that.  What progress was actually made there?

I'm not saying there weren't good intentions behind it, mind.

My problem is definately with knighthood, not with Bono.  It's become a total farce now - it seems just about any celebrity can be a knight now.  Big fucking deal.

Heres the 2006 report, a year later:

LIVE 8 and the make poverty history movements around the world worked.  Because they happened last year, more people are being fed, more children have the chance to get into education and more people are receiving treatment for their diseases this year.

But the G8 are not on track to deliver on the historic promises made at Gleneagles.

    * There is good news on debt cancellation - the G8 are on track to meet their committments.
    * On getting a world trade deal that is good for African development, the G8 are not just off track - they've stepped backwards.
    * On aid, the picture is murky but to be on track to meet their promises, the G8 and non-G8 combined must increase their aid to Africa by $5 billion a year for the next 5 years.  France is the only G8 country on track to meet the promise*. The U.S., UK and Italy increased aid to Africa in 2005 but need to do more, while Germany flatlined and Canada actually decreased aid to Africa in 2005. Data on Japanese aid to Africa in 2005 was not available.

LIVE 8 has always been about combining political, public and media pressure to make poverty history.  The DATA report is another tool to apply that pressure.  It will monitor G8 progress annually until the promises made at Gleneagles are kept.

Bob made it clear that the pressure's still on the G8:  "The full promise must be implemented and nothing else will do. We break that promise, we kill them.  I'm not going to let up now. I'll be banging on about it from the bottom of my coffin.  To the people who are backsliding, I say this: we are not going to give up."

http://www.live8live.com/datareport/

And for the full report:  http://www.thedatareport.org/

[mrlee]

bono is mega over-rated.

[Bodhi]

he is beyond over-rated...U2 isnt really that good of a band anyway....think about it, yeah they are the most popular...but I have no idea why,, I saw them at the Garden,, they were ok

[Walk]

What is selfish about feeding the hungry and getting medicine for those who have AIDS?

Nothing, and that's the problem. Knights fought, literally, for their country. Today, "knights" like Bono don't fight, and they don't usually stand for their country. A true knight would fight both figuratively and literally for the native people of Britain first, the West second, and the rest last. A knight should be selfless to his own benefit, yet selfish for his nation.

We haven't had many true knights since the Renaissance ended.

[Will]

I don't understand why people hate him so much...

I've read the book "Bono in conversation with Michka Assayas", and I learned a lot about him, what he's been through, more about what he stands for, who he really is. I didn't know so many people hated him, but maybe if you'd read the book you'd have a different opinion. Probably not though, because of the initial prejudices. Even if you don't like the guy, I mean come on, it's not like he has killed someone or anything, I don't understand all the negativity. I don't want to debate about why I think different and why I think he's a good person, because there would be no use, but I don't see the big deal in him being knighted.

Good for him, and even if you hate him, I think he deserves some recognition.

[freedom78]

I don't understand why people hate him so much...

I've read the book "Bono in conversation with Michka Assayas", and I learned a lot about him, what he's been through, more about what he stands for, who he really is. I didn't know so many people hated him, but maybe if you'd read the book you'd have a different opinion. Probably not though, because of the initial prejudices. Even if you don't like the guy, I mean come on, it's not like he has killed someone or anything, I don't understand all the negativity. I don't want to debate about why I think different and why I think he's a good person, because there would be no use, but I don't see the big deal in him being knighted.

Good for him, and even if you hate him, I think he deserves some recognition.

I certainly don't hate him...I just think it's odd that we've gotten to a point where, instead of being rebels against the "system", some rockers are very respectable.  I have no problem with him using his fame to work for causes...it's just kind of weird that "rock star" and a general level of respect and acknowledgment that you're a GOOD influence go hand in hand.

Heres the 2006 report, a year later:

LIVE 8 and the make poverty history movements around the world worked.  Because they happened last year, more people are being fed, more children have the chance to get into education and more people are receiving treatment for their diseases this year.

But the G8 are not on track to deliver on the historic promises made at Gleneagles.

    * There is good news on debt cancellation - the G8 are on track to meet their committments.
    * On getting a world trade deal that is good for African development, the G8 are not just off track - they've stepped backwards.
    * On aid, the picture is murky but to be on track to meet their promises, the G8 and non-G8 combined must increase their aid to Africa by $5 billion a year for the next 5 years.  France is the only G8 country on track to meet the promise*. The U.S., UK and Italy increased aid to Africa in 2005 but need to do more, while Germany flatlined and Canada actually decreased aid to Africa in 2005. Data on Japanese aid to Africa in 2005 was not available.

While I'm all for helping Africa, because Lord knows they need it, the idea of flooding them with money is simply not the solution.  Every time something bad happens, and we send tons of grain, we kill any hope of many of these countries developing an agricultural base.  Would any of us want to be an African farmer, with free US/European food products flooding the market every other year and killing your business?  Uh-uh.  Not me.  They need foreign investment, rather than aid, and more aid.  And to get that they need better governments and a generally safer environment.  Why build factories and risk having some nutcase take over the country and nationalizing industry?  Businesses like cheap labor, which Africa certainly has, but they also like a hint of stability, and that's a big reason why Latin America and Asia beat Africa in the cheap labor market. 

If you solve Africa's political problems, it will go a long way toward solving their other problems.