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Originally Posted by BeautifulBurnout
I have to say I think you're wrong on this.
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[Bob's] goal from day 1 has been to raise public awareness of the appalling way in which Western governments treat Africa (and other less developed countries/continents). How many teenagers had any inkling about the unfair balance of trade prior to this event? Only those who took an interest in international politics and economics. Now we have a swathe of youngster sporting white wrist-bands and texting for tickets. If it only makes a small percentage of them start thinking twice about any of this, then Geldof has succeeded.
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I have mixed feelings about this. Yes, it has generated a lot of publicity, and we have had op. eds. about unfair trade restrictions and protectionism, debt relief, and arguably justified vitriol about the EU and g8 being "protections rackets and old boy networks". But in terms of column inches we've had a lot more discussion of the line-up, whether 15 minutes per set is enough, how Dido will be doing a Phil Collins by flying between venues and even a rag-led campaign to get Status Quo on stage. Most folk I've spoken to aren't all that more informed than they were before. At least someone's giving it a bash, though.
Those wristbands that teenagers are wearing... you can buy blank ones all over the place, can you believe that? They're a fashion item, like "Scoubie Dous". And people have been caught selling the pink breast cancer ones at 150% profit.
I wonder if the argument regarding secondary trade in these charity items isn't a sort of a meta-argument about exploitation and profit.