Sunday, July 03, 2005
Live8
It was a shame that I did not get to see much of the Live8 concerts. From the highlights I saw the performances looked compelling and there were one or two duets that appeared interesting to say the least - Elton John and Pete Doherty for example. I also remember being rooted to the TV screen for the whole of the original Live Aid concert 20 years ago. To have done the same thing this time would have just seemed right.
As it happened the reason for my absence from proceedings was that I had tickets to another concert. Instead of watching rock legends of yesteryear we went to Cardiff International Arena to hear the Kings of Leon perform live. The concert was superb but I had forgotten how hot and airless the CIA can get and how long one has to queue to buy even a bottle of water. As a bonus I managed to get home in time to see the reunited Pink Floyd perform 'Comfortably numb' as well as the Paul McCartney set. At least the microphones were switched on for the ex-Beatle this time.
Having travelled to London by train last Monday and experienced delays on both legs of the journey I can sympathise with the 1,000 plus people who were stuck in Cardiff Central train station because of signalling failures and who subsequently arrived hours late for the Hyde Park Live8 gig. It often seems that our transport infrastructure is falling apart around us. It must be well past the time when the UK Government should intervene and provide the investment needed.
As it happened the reason for my absence from proceedings was that I had tickets to another concert. Instead of watching rock legends of yesteryear we went to Cardiff International Arena to hear the Kings of Leon perform live. The concert was superb but I had forgotten how hot and airless the CIA can get and how long one has to queue to buy even a bottle of water. As a bonus I managed to get home in time to see the reunited Pink Floyd perform 'Comfortably numb' as well as the Paul McCartney set. At least the microphones were switched on for the ex-Beatle this time.
Having travelled to London by train last Monday and experienced delays on both legs of the journey I can sympathise with the 1,000 plus people who were stuck in Cardiff Central train station because of signalling failures and who subsequently arrived hours late for the Hyde Park Live8 gig. It often seems that our transport infrastructure is falling apart around us. It must be well past the time when the UK Government should intervene and provide the investment needed.
Comments:
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No. Now there is a man who's microsoft empire could write off the debt of several African Countries.
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I think Bill Gates is giving away quite a large amount of money, actually. And as Andrew Marr and Youssou N'dour pointed out, movement on trade barriers are what's really needed from the West.
I think Bill Gates is giving away quite a large amount of money, actually. And as Andrew Marr and Youssou N'dour pointed out, movement on trade barriers are what's really needed from the West.
I am aware that Bill Gates has given a substantial amount of money and I do not criticise him for that. I merely made an observation en passant.
However, is it not the case that a large chunk of that money is given in kind such as through anti-AIDs drugs? That is commendable in itself but would it not be better to assist the countries in question to build up the capacity to manufacture these drugs themselves? Are there other interests at stake?
I only ask because this is something I have heard and look for validation or otherwise.
However, is it not the case that a large chunk of that money is given in kind such as through anti-AIDs drugs? That is commendable in itself but would it not be better to assist the countries in question to build up the capacity to manufacture these drugs themselves? Are there other interests at stake?
I only ask because this is something I have heard and look for validation or otherwise.
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Gates has pledged to give away 95% of his $41 billion fortune.
Because of Gates, 43 million children have been vaccinated against hepatitis B. The WHO credits the Gates foundation with having helped save 670,000 lives. The foundation has donated $100m to Botswana's Aids programme.
Gee, Bill Gates doesn't own the pharmaceutical companies. How remiss of him.
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Gates has pledged to give away 95% of his $41 billion fortune.
Because of Gates, 43 million children have been vaccinated against hepatitis B. The WHO credits the Gates foundation with having helped save 670,000 lives. The foundation has donated $100m to Botswana's Aids programme.
Gee, Bill Gates doesn't own the pharmaceutical companies. How remiss of him.
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Then he deserves all credit for doing that. However, debt is not the only issue here. Sustainable aid is also important as is allowing third world Countries to compete on level terms with the rest of us.
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Sustainable aid might not be the issue, actually. Here's a quote from an item on Stephen Pollard:
..Between 1980 and 2003, more than $116bn (in 2002 dollars) in US development assistance alone went to 89 poor countries. Yet these recipients often experienced poor even negative per capita economic growth, says Brett Schaeffer, of the Heritage Foundation. Of these 89 countries, 37 experienced negative real annual compound growth in per capita GDP, 20 experienced minimal growth of 1% or less, and only 32 experienced growth of more than 1%. Half of these recipients in sub-Saharan Africa saw a real decline in GDP per capita.
Now I don't know about the facts, figures, truths or otherwise about aid - but surely the relaxation of trade barriers is something we can all agree is a good idea, whatever part of the political spectrum we're coming from.
Unless we're French, then we'll have to maintain the CAP.
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Sustainable aid might not be the issue, actually. Here's a quote from an item on Stephen Pollard:
..Between 1980 and 2003, more than $116bn (in 2002 dollars) in US development assistance alone went to 89 poor countries. Yet these recipients often experienced poor even negative per capita economic growth, says Brett Schaeffer, of the Heritage Foundation. Of these 89 countries, 37 experienced negative real annual compound growth in per capita GDP, 20 experienced minimal growth of 1% or less, and only 32 experienced growth of more than 1%. Half of these recipients in sub-Saharan Africa saw a real decline in GDP per capita.
Now I don't know about the facts, figures, truths or otherwise about aid - but surely the relaxation of trade barriers is something we can all agree is a good idea, whatever part of the political spectrum we're coming from.
Unless we're French, then we'll have to maintain the CAP.
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