[Mb-civic] It is the System that needs reform

Mon Nov 28 04:02:08 PST 2005

It is not about charity, it is about the international banking system and structural reform among the Donor nations - 
for the financial crippling abuse from past political development loans. 

The history of aid developed during the Cold War and afterward documents how FIRST world nations operate development loans to subordinate Third World countries who carry out their political and economic objectives.

This acts like a type of "Company Town" to bleed 3rd world nations of their cash in interest payments for politically motivated loans with strings attached... the money loaned is designed to be spent for an economic effect back home in the donor's economy - usually in a dominant industry and a blind eye for the tyrants' sticky fingers if they keep their countries facing toward the donors' objectives. 

(An example: When I was in Ghana in the mid 80's, Germany did a deal with Rawlings to supply buses on non competitive basis - for 20 years, only Mercedes products can be used, and all parts and fulfilment to be developed in Ghana from Germany. The sweetener of the monopoly for a German exporter - a 2 million gift to the country at the discretion of the boss. And Rawlings was relatively speaking, a good guy - but strayed periodically from the America line by being a pal of Libya...so the shop window of USAID office in Accra was closed.)

The final systemic irony is the banking system.  A ruling oligarchy hoard huge amounts of graft cash, that can only be safely kept in Swiss banks or deposited safely back in the First World banks in Paris, London or the USA... The system produces palaces and strings of Mercedes for an inner circle among the cohorts that keep the donor happy. 

You get the idea.

Meanwhile all the specialty political development aid debt accumulated, is paid back from the cash produced in First World deposit accounts. There the cash is available as foreign exchange from the export of raw materials that are harvested from dependent countries, obvious sad places where humanity sits and waits for relief or even a natural disaster to gain the awareness of the busy globalise world. 

The system is corrupt on both sides of the transaction - and the populace go without the basics of life that ought be the fair endowment for everyone on the planet - particularly children who go without education, health care that would release native talent for self-determination. 

This system is like the development scheme of the railroad company towns in the America's Wild West. Immigrant Irish and Chinese workers earned money and spent it for shovels and food provided from the railroads acted in 

Robert Kennedy noted the system in play when he investigated Virginia's Appalachia and noted, that giving a man a fish feeds him for a day, but providing the means so a man could  go fishing takes care of his family into the future.

Thanks for listening. So far I have read nothing that makes me ashamed of Bono and the band ! 

Dublinjack

PS  Everyone seems to bulk up Bono synonymously with U2 - in fact U2 has five members: the four guys in the band  and a man named McGuinness who works their numbers.   Everything is divided equally among the five. Their investments then go solo. 

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: richard haase 
  To: mb-civic at islandlists.com 
  Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 12:53 PM
  Subject: Re: [Mb-civic] Harold's diatribe over a Rock Musician

  i dont  know
  im not over 60 but i have often thought the same thing
  that bono has between 500 million and one billion dollars
  if he were for real he could divest himself of all but ten per cent twenty per cent of his money
  and give the rest to the poor
  i know i would without thinking
  ?
  but kudos harry
  i couldnt agree more
  if all these celebs who do the telethons really wanted to do something
  they would divest themselves of the majority of their wealth
  ( still leaving them many millions eg enough to buy more food than they could ever eat
  more houses than they could live in, more cars than they could drive etc )
  and feed the poor

  kudos harry
  i too in my subjective opinion
  believe bono is obscenely and quintessentially full of shit
  and i am not an old curmudgeon
  more of a peter pan type aging incediary
  but this is perhaps a pragmatic illustration
  of the biblical passage" it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven "
  and i am not a prude or a teatotler ( sp? )
  ( eg rolls another )
  because if you can stand around with more than you and yours could ever possibly use
  while someone else starves
  which is the current en vivo state of bono, mccartney et al
  that is quintessentially elementally nasty base and evil
  even if we dont acknowledge it ( eg see hannah arrandt )
  peace

  always stirring up the pot

  R
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Jack Sullivan 
    To: Harold Sifton ; mb-civic at islandlists.com 
    Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 7:01 AM
    Subject: [Mb-civic] Harold's diatribe over a Rock Musician

    Harold:

    Your reaction overrules the truth. 

    I see RED in your statements of diatribe and invective; 

    Are you over 60 years of age? 

    Dublinjack 
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Harold Sifton 
      To: MB Civic 
      Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 1:56 AM
      Subject: [Mb-civic] Bono is a hypocrite

      Bono is such a hypocrite. 

      He said he is crushed by Canada's PM for not giving more!!  "O Canada, O Canada how your faith has fallen..."

      http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051125/bono_ottawapovertyhistory_20051125/20051125?hub=TopStories

      Canada is U2's bread basket. A pathetic note to a band that has made it everywhere. They broke in Canada, before any where else in the world.

      Their management has been Canadian. Michael Chol, who is also presently managing Rolling Stones (14 years)

      U2 is an off shore company, Bermuda, so that they do not have to pay corporate taxes (I know this)  U2 is a holding company to sort world wide income into about 18 discrete companies where appropriate cost accounting takes place- as in any multinational venture. The band members take  net money into their own private accounts. AND PAY TAX !  And invest all over the world - having just lost $100m in an American venture.

      U2 are Irish artists, therefore personally non-taxable in Ireland. Wrong again, Irish artists are exempt on their royalties only - Not performances, or record sales...

      U2 manages Irish bands and charges 80% of net for services provided. (public knowledge, U2 are not popular in Ireland) 

      Wrong  Again !  U2 is so popular in Ireland that last summer U2  added 2 extra days to the concert scheduled at Croke Park, Ireland's largest stadium seating 80,000. That is 240,000 tickets sold at 60 euro each. In the audience were all ages of Irish people - not just teens - Bono is an icon in Ireland and he is a respected and a lively citizen around Dublin where his wife is a pioneer in children's charities, including Chernobyl Children! 

      How much does Bono personally give to his causes ??  His Life and time is good enough for me and Nelson Mandela too! 

      I would really like to see an audit of Bono's activity, if anyone skirts the international tax laws U2 does. This is a bold face lie! Bono was selected by the Special Olympics Committee in Ireland to personally welcome Nelson Manadela who came out of retirement out of respect for the charity and Bono personally. The world views Bono has a voice for the poor. 

      They make their fortune off of 10-16 year old kids, tweens and teens, yet Bono wants to be an activist with 3rd world debt. Wrong Again. The mass of support for U2 is among 25-60 yr olds who still love his tones from their youthful memory. My teen children think his music is dated, old hat- too much like their father's generation. Sorry Harold 3rd Strike YOU'RE OUT. You have had your inning - and no runs scored.

      U2 charges an average of $100 ++ per ticket per show Is that a low value Canadian dollar you are talking about? 

      As a non-tax paying person where does he have the right?  We all have the right, Harold to do good according to our lights and speak out - but unlike you, some speak the truth - like Bono. 

      He should publicly release his personal financials before he starts demanding responsible Nations to increase payments to 3rd world debt over National responsibilities. There is no  financial pre-qualification to free speech. 

      I am not disagreeing with the issue of 3rd world debt, I'm disagreeing with Bono's political interference in Canadian politics. 
      If Bono was a stakeholder in Canada, a tax payer, then i would welcome his position and see his personal financial contribution as an example for others to follow. But he is an off shore puppy who does not pay any taxes and yet wants the world's real tax payers to pay off 3rd world debt. Like any self appointed despot, repeating the lie makes it bigger in your mind. 

      Bono go home, where ever your tax haven is these days. Harold stay home and find out why Canada can't get it up.  Bono and Geldolf and a good few others are awake in their hearts about the systematic pillaging of post colonial countries. Wake up and buy Freetrade.

      PS With Bono's  loud and clear influence at home, Ireland has doubled its contribution to the 3rd world to meet its target as promised. 

      Sincerely in truth.

      Later H

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