Live 8 – Concerts Without Purpose
This past weekend’s “Live 8” shows were apparently big news. For the most part, I didn’t even watch it. Unlike Live Aid two decades ago, I never felt that this event had much in the way of concrete goals. Instead, it just seemed to be an excuse for a bunch of rockers to put on a show and act like they were doing something. Considering the outcome of the Live Aid, it may have been just as well.
Live Aid raised millions to send food to Africa to feed the starving. With great fanfare, a huge shipment of food was sent to Ethiopia, where not nearly enough of it made it to the neediest. A corrupt government took control of far too much of the food, minimizing the impact. Being an event-driven effort, the food aid wasn’t ongoing, so what did make it to the starving poor was gone too soon. Asked about the aid 20 years later, one Ethiopian woman was quoted as saying, “Someone helped us once I think, but they did not stay…”
Ethiopia has seen a change in government, and the breakaway of a portion of the country. Food production is rising, but years of socialism have harmed the farms almost as much as the people. Many farms still haven’t recovered from socialist-style mismanagement, and may require many years longer. Ethiopia has a long way to go before it recovers from what famine and bad government have wrought.
Ethiopia isn’t the only part of Africa in trouble. Zimbabwe was once the breadbasket of lower Africa. Corruption, racism, victim-mentality and socialist farm management have destroyed this ability. Because white Europeans once colonized the area, privately-owned farms belonging to white people are being stolen by the government through complex means, and given to black cronies of the ruling class. Skilled farmers find themselves out of work, while political hacks take over the farms and then mismanage them. There is a fear that South Africa may soon go this way, as well.
What exactly is it that Live 8 is supposed to do about this? Apparently, the purpose of the concerts was to raise awareness of the issues. What little I did see of the show featured a crowd full of people wearing symbols of what is wrong about hungry Africa. An anti-free-trade flag flew during U2’s performance. T-Shirts featuring socialist slogans dotted the crowd. Anti-capitalist signs were raised high. A crowd that came to raise awareness of hunger and poverty came supporting ideals that are root causes of that same hunger.
What can be done to help end hunger in the world today? There are a few simple ways to begin.
First, all farmland should be immediately privatized. Any farmland owned by the government on the African continent should be put up for auction. A covenant should be attached to any sale that requires that at least 50% of the land be cultivated for crops within two years of the sale, and that cultivation be continued on no less than 80% of each plot for at least ten years.
An African free-trade zone should be created, eliminating the economic barriers for cross-border trade. This would allow food to flow freely across the continent. This would also allow more affluent areas to utilize lower-cost workforces in needier areas. The result is lower-cost items for people with money to spend, and an income for people in those areas where jobs are few and far between.
DDT should be un-banned, worldwide. This inexpensive, effective pesticide has been long-maligned as damaging, with almost no evidence against it. DDT would allow better control of malaria, a major killer. It would also help prevent locusts and other insects from damaging the crops that are needed to renew Africa’s food supplies.
Better crops, including Genetically Modified crops, should be researched as to their ability to increase crop yields and nutrition. If better crops can be found for the purpose, they should be immediately put to use.
Privately sponsored scholarships should be created to allow individuals to come to America and study subjects such as horticulture, medicine, engineering, manufacturing, business, electronics and other useful professions. Scholarships should not be used for education in psychology, sociology, or any liberal arts field. This would allow graduates to return home with skills necessary to build infrastructure, perform crops research, care for the health of the population, and create businesses to employ the people.
That’s only a beginning. There’s plenty more that could be done.
It’s also more than the Live 8 shows are doing, which is pretty much nothing.
Comments
One Comment on Live 8 – Concerts Without Purpose
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Mark in Mexico on
Tue, 5th Jul 2005 8:21 pm
Kristof, No Friend of Bush
“Bush, a Friend of Africa” starts off well enough, but then Nicholas Kristof, after taking a swipe at Bill Clinton (Bill who?) demands that George Bush do precisely the opposite than that for which he has just earned Kristof’s lavish praise.
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