U2′s Bono On Somalia: ‘You Can Blame Droughts On God, But Famines Are Man-Made’

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by Mark Joyella | 2:48 pm, August 11th, 2011

» 18 comments

In an interview Wednesday on CNN’s AC 360, U2 frontman and activist Bono dismissed any suggestion that the famine threatening the lives of up to 600,000 African children was the result of an act of God. “You can blame droughts on God, but famines are man-made,” the singer told Anderson Cooper, who was in Mogadishu, and has been reporting from the region all week. “This shouldn’t be happening,” Bono, who is co-founder of the ONE campaign, said, noting that other countries in the region have been hit by the same drought, but effective use of agricultural programs have helped avoid famine.

The situation in Somalia has been staggering–and led Cooper to argue the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids should be getting more of the world’s attention:

600,000 children are on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations. 600,000 children. That should be a headline in every paper, every newscast, every day as long as this famine lasts. It won’t be of course, because we’ve come to accept these catastrophes as somehow inevitable events that we can’t do anything about until it’s too late. That’s not true of course, but it’s the way many perceive it. It isn’t until we see pictures of dying children that we feel compelled to take action. Sadly those pictures aren’t hard to find in Somalia today.

Bono says the long term solution is implementing programs to handle drought. But in the next few weeks, the problems are urgent:

“We need money, we need cash, but also we need safe passage for that food and shelter. As to the long term stuff, we know exactly what to do with droughts. You can blame droughts on God, but famines are man-made. We know exactly what to do, and this shouldn’t be happening.”

Watch it here, from CNN:

AC 360, Africa, anderson cooper, Bono, CNN, drought, famine, U2

Anonymous

Self righteous Liberals bother me. Self righteous Conservatives do too, but Bono could give away 90% of his wealth and still have enough left over for a comfy retirement.

Yet, Bono and his contemporaries desire that I commit myself to saving the masses, who breed, willy nilly. So, I guess I get ticked off twice, once at Bono and a second time at people who lack any semblance of culture or attendant responsibility.
J1234

Purveyor1, my gut tells me you and I are on different sides of the political aisle, but I agree with some of what you say. I’d like to know how much money Bono has devoted to this famine – rumor has it his net worth is $900 million. On a week where I read Jennifer Lopez is getting $20 million for American Idol and Matt Lauer makes $17 million a year, I actually think it’s shameful to be asking the “small people” in America and in other nations undergoing austerity measures to donate money. Why doesn’t he just write letters to 1,000 multimillionaires to donate $1 million each, and they’ll have the $1 billion they need.
Anonymous

Why doesn’t he just write letters to 1,000 multimillionaires to donate $1 million each, and they’ll have the $1 billion they need. ”

Interesting point. Rosie O’Donnell told the story of watching the 9/11 attacks in shock and horror and decided to do something positive. She decided to donate $1 million to the 9/11 fund and then proceeded to call all her rich friends to ask them to do likewise.

To her shock , NONE would join her in her largess.

This may be the cause of her subsequently becoming a 9/11 Truther.
Anonymous

Why doesn’t he just write letters to 1,000 multimillionaires to donate $1 million each, and they’ll have the $1 billion they need. “Interesting point. Rosie O’Donnell told the story of watching the 9/11 attacks in shock and horror and decided to do something positive. She decided to donate $1 million to the 9/11 fund and then proceeded to call all her rich friends to ask them to do likewise.To her shock , NONE would join her in her largess.This may be the cause of her subsequently becoming a 9/11 Truther.
Edit ReplyReply
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

Bono has been at this work for sometime and I would guess that he has invested not only his time but some of his money as well.. I think that it is good work, and I respect him for it.

I am not so sure that he sould measure contributions as he does on his “one” site, it seems that he is hopeful that the UN will step in and pressure countries to make commitments… The problem is that we can not solve the problems of the world, and as always the world looks to the US for the lions share and we too are suffering, the people of Haiti are also suffering as are people all over the world. I know that our suffering is nothing as compared to those in Somalia but unless we make ourselves strong we will soon be of little good to others..
Anonymous

You know, these people didn’t have to starve.
If it wasn’t for organizations like Green Peace and other “liberal/progressive” murderers the people of Africa would have more food than they could choke down.

Start at 1:40.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xubWxy1vHMk&feature=related

pt2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GdjdefPShc&feature=related

In my opinion, “liberals and progressives” who push to ban GE food should be viewed no diffrently than cold blooded killers.
Anonymous

O’Donnell, her friends, truthers… A curious bit of trivia. I did not know about this, but is no surprise.

There are men and women, providing O’Donnell and company, (and us) a blanket of protection and freedom, day in, day out, yet I question whether she and her buddies appreciate such?

Thanks for the info
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

Thanks for posting I hope that people take the time to watch..
Anonymous

The Guy with Grey Beard on late night TV that asks for donations for little kids in South America. He and his contemporaries devote themselves to impoverished children, in ways I cannot fathom. In ways I could not do.

The missionaries of the past always seemed to have an overt Religiosity to accompany them along with the desire to convert all those they helped? Yet, the mother Church existed on in Splendor, these missionaries lived the lives of those they were devoted too.

Madonna, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their adoptions strike me as prizes and affectations than altruism. Bono, and his expensive Glasses? I just don’t know what makes these people tick. Call me a cynic and mistrusting. Maybe it stems from my dislike for wealthy Socialists and their peculiar brand of hypocrisy? Doesn’t pass the sniff test?

The most credible proponent of peace, is often the man who has known war. Somehow, that analogy works for me at the moment.

Lastly, too much of Africa is bereft of any vestige of the original cultures that once inhabited the continent. The natural birth and death rate is now grossly out of kilter, murder and rape has become a sport! All the money and commitment in the world will not suffice if the human species continues to consume itself…

Purveyor
Anonymous

Sam Kinison had the right idea:

http://youtu.be/vN7ehccspao
Anonymous

Sam Kinison had the right idea:

http://youtu.be/vN7ehccspao
Nature Freak

Purveyor,

Good point. I myself wonder how much Bono gives to charity. I am a fan of U2 going way back, but still…. I will look it up later.

Southpark has an opinion.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155668/bono-is-crap
Nature Freak

Sam Kinison was a funny man, I laughed at the clip, but it is more complicated than Sam made out.

BTW, there has been rapid desertfication in many regions of Africa, sometimes within a lifetime. Also, there is a broken down and corrupt political system including warfare in many places and on top of this the lands the starving tribes live in are their homeland (in a very intense religious and spiritual sense). Their ancestors may have lived there for a thousand plus years. They may only speak a tribal language. There are other reasons.

Africa is complicated.
Anonymous

I forgot about that episode. LOL Stan Marsh and his turd against Bono and his ego (turd) SPark is way better than is given credit for.
Anonymous

Hey Bono STFU you piece of crap hypocrite. Bono the jet setting rock star that he is needs to stop running commercials telling me to donate money for this cause or that cause and use his own damn money. Bono go sell your designer sunglasses, I bet they could feed a family in Africa for a year.
john.kliber

He is right, famine is man-made. It’s caused by having large families resulting in more people than there is food. In pre-historic times this was cruelly self-corrected by Mother Nature. Now, perhaps Bono can help by having a charity that has millions of dollars but which only gives a tiny percentage to actual causes. Rather, it uses the money to ADVERTISE the plight of others.

In pre-historic times, this was known as selling a second-hand club with a crack in it. Self-correction often took the form of some kind of punishment. Now, adulation follows.
john.kliber

He is right, famine is man-made. It’s caused by having large families resulting in more people than there is food. In pre-historic times this was cruelly self-corrected by Mother Nature. Now, perhaps Bono can help by having a charity that has millions of dollars but which only gives a tiny percentage to actual causes. Rather, it uses the money to ADVERTISE the plight of others.

In pre-historic times, this was known as selling a second-hand club with a crack in it. Self-correction often took the form of some kind of punishment. Now, adulation follows.
Holistic

Over the years, billions have been given to all the African countries, yet few have developed the resources to sustain them. I no longer feel an guilt about this. There is only so much we can do, they have to depend on themselves at some point in time.