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Originally Posted by goldfish
This isn't about scalping, it's about human fucking decency. Exploiting other people's misfortune for your own profit is the behaviour of scum-sucking fuckwads.
It's just plain fucking nasty, and Bob's reaction was proportionate, and it worked; eBay pulled the sales, good on them. A pox on the cunts trying to sell the tickets in the first place, let's hope they all end up poor and homeless and in need of some charity.
Simon
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Word, Simon.
This isn't about raising money - it is about raising awareness and ultimately trying to influence an economic structure that has leeched all that is good from developing countries to the so-called developed West for centuries (including human resources, in the form of slavery). Then we sit back and tut-tut when holocausts like Rwanda and Darfur occur, thinking that sticking a quid in a collection box will somehow make it better. All it makes better is our tiny, withered consciences. It is not about money, it is about politics.
The Western world draws lines on a map to suit our purposes, empowers one tribe to the detriment of another, then raises its hands in horror when it all goes pear-shaped. Imagine what would happen if some superpower came along and decided that the Welsh were to be the ruling "race" in the UK and recentralised parliament and all economic infrastructure in Cardiff, because it suited its needs? If suddenly, to be English, or Scottish, or Irish meant that you were a second-class citizen, no longer allowed to occupy government posts, be a member of parliament? This is what we have done time and time again in other countries. And it always, always, comes back to bite us on the ass.
And the government aid that is provided to less-developed countries is almost exclusively tied up with structural adjustment policies - don't build more hospitals, build more roads and infrastructure so Western companies can transport their goods better. Don't spend more on education, spend it on tax-breaks for Trans-National Corporations who can set up factories with dirty technology and "employ" people who, erstwhile, worked quite happily on the land to provide for their families, and now have had their land "privatised" and have to work 15 hour days to earn enough money for a bowl of rice a day.
Remember the multi-billion Tanzanian Air Traffic Control System? How many Tanzanians jet off for their summer hols? It is to facilitate Western development in their country, nothing more.
This is about raising people's conciousness as to what exactly the G8 are doing in Africa and the price ordinary, hard-working people have to pay as a result of our incessant meddling.
As for the march on Edinburgh - well, 2,000,000 marched through London in February 2003 and the sky didn't fall on our heads.
Good on Bob, and Bono, I say. Someone has got to do it.
Wow! The ranting season is open!
I've missed Dirty
