You GOTTA be kidding me.

[AZhitman]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/201 ... bama_N.htm

A singer. From Ireland. Consulting with the President on ways to make sure U.S. foreign aid is effective.



Next week, he will be seeking the consultation of Britney Spears on the state of mental health care in America.

[PyR0NiAk]

[srellim234]

Bono has been involved with African aid for over 22 years. Groups and people including Bill and Melinda Gates with their foundation and even the Episcopal Church have listened to, consulted with and consider Bono to be an expert on developing effective aid programs in Africa. Dismssing him as merely a singer and not someone who has put his own money where his mouth is and not recognizing his experience and expertise is very short-sighted. What evidence and experience qualifies you to denounce him as an expert on the subject?

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Beat me to it. Do you have a better person in mind? Foreign policy advice should come from multiple sources...
And despite the fact that the Irish are notoriously bad people...people... he has a damn good amount of experience in the subject..."professional" or not.
Do you not like the guy? Lots of people view him as a douchebag for various reasons.

[BusyBadger]

Dismssing him as merely a singer and not someone who has put his own money where his mouth is and not recognizing his experience and expertise is very short-sighted.

I'd have a little more respect for Bono if he could pay his damned taxes before telling someone else how to spend their money.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/enter ... 03187.html

And despite the fact that the Irish are notoriously bad people...people...

Generalize much?

Lots of people view him as a douchebag for various reasons.

Maybe because he's Irish, they're bad people you know.

[WDRacing]

Bono and Clooney would both be good sources to use. In fact the more sources you have the better your chances will be of doing the most you can with every bit of assistance that is given. Never close an open door kinda thing imo. Clooney spoke to Congress last year or the year before about Darfur.

I'd rather not see anymore contributions to foreign countries until the deficit is under control though.

[Eikon]

Next Obama will be consulting Nala on the state of our education system.

Just because a guy is experienced in something doesn't mean he's expert. Just because he's on the front lines of a situation doesn't mean he understands the political and socio-economic forces that drive the situation. But, I'm sure he got some nice autographs for his daughters.

[WDRacing]

I don't know what you guys, Greg-Seth, are upset about at all. Who would you rather have in control, Obama and his mighty fleet of do-gooders or Bono. I'll take Bono over Obamalama any day all day. So far Obama's policies are about 180 out from mine...Maybe Bono should restructure Financial Reform while he has the ear of this admin. Can't do any worse...

[HashiriyaS14]

You guys are all shxtheads.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,172815,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,47953,00.html


FWIW, it sounds like Bono was really hammering Bush on AIDS in Africa, which ended up as one of his greatest positive "legacy" accomplishments of the Presidency. But yes, every f**king US President (and any other world leader of any import) always meets with Bono. This is not news.



Additionally, cutting off aid to decrease the deficit is a terrible idea. Aid buys our way out of future wars, it's some of the best money we spend as a nation. There's no better way to make allies than to write checks. In the grand scheme of things, it's a bargain compared to the alternative (i.e. fighting wars).

[WDRacing]

Yeah...cause I'm worried about Africa. You're a hippie Hash, you'd just assume give away all of our money. You like to act fiscally responsible, but we both know you're not. No Democrat is...that's why you fully supported Obama. I'll get financial advice somewhere else thanks.

[HashiriyaS14]

Yeah...cause I'm worried about Africa. You're a hippie Hash, you'd just assume give away all of our money. You like to act fiscally responsible, but we both know you're not. No Democrat is...that's why you fully supported Obama. I'll get financial advice somewhere else thanks.

LOL! Our foreign aid goes to a lot more places than just Africa (i.e. Israel). Foreign aid dollars are what's going to keep North Korea and Pakistan in check. It's just math, it's cheaper to write foreign aid checks than it is to go to war with someone. We can't afford to let any portion of the world degenerate into lawlessness, because when that happens they become a haven for terrorists, etc. Foreign aid in Afghanistan in the 1980's would've stopped the Taliban from coming to power and largely averted this whole mess.

[WDRacing]

I know where it goes foolio, I used Africa as an example because we're talking about Africa in this thread already. There are tons of places that "evil" can reside without interference from the local Gov. I understand your point, but you're greatly exaggerating what our donations to Africa will accomplish as far as keeping terrorism and other conflicts at bay.

Did we not give enough aide to Afganistan when the Russians were slaughtering them? Exactly how many more tax dollars should we have given them? You are also just speculating that the Taliban wouldn't have come to power.

[HashiriyaS14]

Exactly how many more tax dollars should we have given them?

Hm....let's see.

Thus far, the war in Afghanistan has cost the United States about $299 billion since 2001 (so about $33 billion per year).

We were donating $600 MILLION per year in the 1980's to fight the Soviets (so figure about $1.5 billion per year today, inflation-adjusted). That's a $31.5 billion/year delta in costs.

$31.5 billion dollars a year buys a LOT of loyalty, and it costs NO American lives. If we were dumping a quarter of that into the Afghan economy to build schools and create jobs, we'd become a lot more popular than the Taliban in a big hurry. They don't have that kind of money to throw around, we do. It'd still be cheaper for us in the long run.

Granted, we can't do it NOW, because we already went and f**ked it up by abandoning the place to begin with, but it's a lesson.

Isolationism doesn't work in the 21st century. Engage and befriend, or fight later and die/go broke. I'm all about spending less money, and in the long run, keeping foreign aid flowing will RESULT in us spending less money.

[WDRacing]

I see your point...

I'm probably just thinking emotionally because we're so f'd financially and I have 3 boys to think about. So any additional spending to me is to much.

*edit*
I know we shouldn't have bailed back in the 80's. I was stuck arguing a weak point...lol.

[HashiriyaS14]

I'm probably just thinking emotionally because we're so f'd financially and I have 3 boys to think about. So any additional spending to me is to much.

^^
Having been laid off last year, I sympathize greatly and I absolutely understand that emotion.

[srellim234]

Getting back to AZs original post, I have yet to see a rational, informed explanation as to why Bono ISN'T an expert on the subject since so many others who know more about the situation than I do feel he is. So far I've seen he's a musician, Irish, a tax cheat and a lousy person. None of those have to do with the topic of Africa.

I guess Sarah Palin is probably more qualified as an expert on the subject because after all Alaska and Africa are only seperated by an 8,000 mile body of water. And while you're dismissing people like Bono because of his day job, don't forget that Ronald Reagan was an actor from Hollywood.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Generalize much?

Recognize sarcasm much?

[LEMHEAD16]

Generalize much?

Recognize sarcasm much?

I see what you did there.