So apparently Bono and his band of rich idiots from the (Red) campaign met with the Japanese Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, to present him with an iPod in hopes of convincing him to increase support from his nation in the effort to “reduce poverty in Africa.”
Why does anyone care what some moron like Bono says or does? He is talking on behalf of (Red) about poverty in Africa, but his foundation does not do anything related to reducing poverty in Africa. According to The (Red) Manifesto, the group will “give some of its profits to buy and distribute anti-retroviral medicine to our brothers and sisters dying of AIDS in Africa.” If people want to donate to prop-up impoverished nations in Africa, that is one thing but providing medicine to prop-up the dwindling lives of AIDS carriers in the most AIDS infested corner of the world seems inane.
AIDS remains incurable and these people are not even looking for a cure. Rather, they are extending the lives of countless people suffering the terrible pain of that disease and potentially infecting others with it. If you want to help Africans who actually have some chance of living a full life, why not do something about the lack of potable water or essential irrigation systems? Better yet why not do something about the warlords who terrorize local populations across Africa and steal the essential medicine and food donated by groups like (Red)?
“So, you say that you BOTH just gave me AIDS?”
It is terrible that these people must suffer through poverty, violence, and AIDS but why not try to solve Africa’s problems which are are at least potentially solvable instead of throwing it away by trying to mitigate the suffering of one group of people?
I do not know what percentage of the money from purchases/donations to (Red) actually winds up being applied to their stated mission but I am often suspect of such groups, particularly those started by celebrities, that pledge to give “some” of their profits to those in need. How much is some? Does anyone out there have the figures of how much of (Red)’s gross is used to help Africa? I would be keen to learn.
12 responses so far ↓
Greg // June 3, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Here’s your answer, from the same website you quote.
“The Global Fund has selected established grants with sound performance to receive money raised through (RED). To date, (RED) partners have generated more than $60 million for the Global Fund. No overhead is taken out of these funds – 100% of this money flows to Global Fund financed AIDS grants in Ghana, Rwanda, Swaziland and Lesotho. In these countries this money is helping to finance comprehensive national HIV/AIDS programs led by the ministries of health, to provide antiretroviral treatment for children and adults, to assist in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, as well as essential counseling and testing activities to reduce the overall risk of HIV transmission.”
On one hand you have this, on the other you have what you’ve jerked off onto this site, read by few.
So…who’s the douchebag?
Alain // June 18, 2008 at 6:53 am
First sorry for my bad english.
As far as I know, the Red label is only 1 part of Bono’s work.
If you want to know what Bono does to fight poverty, go here:
http://www.one.org
Extreme poverty is not an easy problem to fight, solution has nothing to do with charity. Maybe you should inform yourself before to criticize.
And to answer your question “How much is some?”(profit red label re-distribute) I would say:
maybe just a few….
and may ask you: how much money did you give last year to fight poverty????? Probably nothing…
The one campagne already saved many thousand children’s life, allowing them also to go to school, and just for this, Bono can be proud.
Moron toi-même!
Mac // June 26, 2008 at 9:00 am
… He’s trying to help people suffering from an epidemic, i dont think that’s really douchebag territory.
beth // July 2, 2008 at 1:42 am
i’m not really sure why the author’s name does not appear anywhere on here. anyway, uh…”the dwindling lives of AIDS carriers in the most AIDS invested corner of the world”? are you talking about human beings? hopefully, neither you nor anyone you love gets sick or is dying or otherwise suffering from some disease. what do you propose we do to help you or your loved one if that happens – nothing? or just kill you because you aren’t in perfect health, a lost cause? someone to be disposed of like a piece of trash, the way you talk about african people who have contracted aids? that seems very humane & compassionate! i hope you learn to develop some empathy. maybe you can travel to africa & do some service work, learn to get outside your limited world view & b.s. (belief system).
mike // July 25, 2008 at 10:23 am
Bono has done more for the world than a loser blogger like yourself ever could hope to do. He’s a rock star – he doesn’t have to work on humanitarian efforts, he does it because he wants to make a difference.
Annie // August 3, 2008 at 12:22 am
For one freakin’ time of your life, use your brain before you talk. You must be just as stupid as you sound with comments like that about the sickness of AIDS in the continent of Africa. And Bono has done more for Africa than you’ll ever will. So who’s the real douche? You, for sure.
Do something good for the world before you judge other people who does make a difference.
Apparently Bono is Not the Only Douchebag Out There « Dictated: But Not Read // August 3, 2008 at 4:20 pm
[...] to some of my other posts, I assume most of you imagine means I am out drowning kittens) but my Douchebag Alert! Bono’s Back! post has garnered such a continual influx of hateful comments that I feel compelled to reply to a [...]
luminor13 // October 5, 2008 at 9:30 am
You are an idiot!
Tim Roman // October 27, 2008 at 9:47 pm
The real douchebag of this story is the writter of this blog.
dictated // October 31, 2008 at 6:50 am
Hey Tim… tell me, what is a “writter”???
Vicky // November 13, 2008 at 11:34 am
Don’t suppose the writer is just a tad jealous of Bono?!!
dictated // November 19, 2008 at 9:41 am
Vicky– Jealous of his millions of dollars? Sure, that is a fair assessment. But I am not being critical of bono because he has money. He worked for many years producing music which, while I personally do not care for it, made millions of people happy and made him very rich. That is great and kudos to him for doing so. I am not saying he shouldn’t give some of his vast fortune to help the needy if he so chooses– again, I think that is great and I am glad he does so. I am critical of Bono (and other celebs like him) who insist that their charitable works be known by the masses and, moreover, who attach their name to a cause because they know that the mindless simps who comprise much of their fan-base will be too overwhelmed to resist following suit and donating to these same causes, not because they believe in them, but because Bono told them to believe in them.