Meet Bono? I'm not interested, says PM

[sanctus]

Yeah, maybe you want to check his history before you go slamming the guy like that. I mean if you want to compare just how much he's done for poverty against your own efforts, or the efforts of your whole family if you like, then I will be happy to sit as judge and give you an honest opinion.

Just sayin.

All that is fine, but let's not forget the perspective here. Bono is a rock star. What he does with his money and time might be wonderful, but just because he is a rock star does not mean the political leaders of any nation must somehow kow-tow to him at his command. I admire celebrities when they do good works. However, his good works in no way suggests he is an "important" person politically. Who the hell does he think he is anyway, a Beatle

 

[tracy]

TRACY.............help the others before your own???? Guess thats why is hard for a born canadian to get rights...........just checkin

No, help others at the same time as helping our own. Which is what we do now by the way. A born Canadian has TONS of rights and privileges thanks to being born in Canada (free healthcare, education, welfare services, student loans, food hampers, etc). I've never suggested taking them away.

 

[tracy]

If he's gonna meet with Bono, then he darn well better meet with me!! Bono's not even Canadian, I am!

And how much do you know about the issue? If you are an expert in the field, I wouldn't see the problem.

 

[tracy]

All that is fine, but let's not forget the perspective here. Bono is a rock star. What he does with his money and time might be wonderful, but just because he is a rock star does not mean the political leaders of any nation must somehow kow-tow to him at his command. I admire celebrities when they do good works. However, his good works in no way suggests he is an "important" person politically. Who the hell does he think he is anyway, a Beatle

I just think people are doing the opposite here. The PM would snub him no matter how knowledgeable he may be simply because he's a musician. That's silly to me. They don't have to kow tow to him, but at the same time they don't have to automatically snub him.

I'm sort of surprised you'd be in favor of not meeting with a poverty activist or explaining why we are not meeting our previously made commitments to aid in Africa.

 

[tracy]

I posted this in another thread, but this is probably a more appropriate thread:

When Bono has given away all of his money to the point where he has as much money as I do (which isn't much) then he can lecture me about how to spend my money (through taxes). I think Africa is a very good cause, but hearing it from the mouth of a hypocrite like Bono only hurts the cause. Most reasonable people look at him and roll their eyes. I'm not sure about Geldof, or how much money he has, but I'm pretty sure that Bono is doing pretty well for himself. People like mother Teresa, who actually walk the walk, have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more credibility than Bono.

So it doesn't matter if he accomplishes WAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY more than Mother Teresa (or any one of us)? As long as he isn't living in poverty himself, his efforts are meaningless?

 

[sanctus]

I just think people are doing the opposite here. The PM would snub him no matter how knowledgeable he may be simply because he's a musician. That's silly to me. They don't have to kow tow to him, but at the same time they don't have to automatically snub him.

I'm sort of surprised you'd be in favor of not meeting with a poverty activist or explaining why we are not meeting our previously made commitments to aid in Africa.

Why would you be surprised? Bono is not a "poverty activist". He's a rock star with a cause. A good cause, to be sure, but not enough to suggest a rock star must be accorded full diplomatic rights because he has adopted a cause.

I expect my political leaders to do what is best for me as a Canadian. I do not see his meeting a rock star as necessary to this goal.

I think we run a very real danger in the western world of catering to the whims of celebrities.

 

[tracy]

Why would you be surprised? Bono is not a "poverty activist". He's a rock star with a cause. A good cause, to be sure, but not enough to suggest a rock star must be accorded full diplomatic rights because he has adopted a cause.

I expect my political leaders to do what is best for me as a Canadian. I do not see his meeting a rock star as necessary to this goal.

I think we run a very real danger in the western world of catering to the whims of celebrities.

It isn't about meeting a rock star. It's about explaining why Canada has "recalculated" the commitment we made a few years ago to aiding the poorest people on earth (recalculated meaning deciding we'd give less than we promised).

It surprised me because Catholics are the ones who told me that Jesus loved the poor and that it was their duty to help them as he would have. I've always heard it from them, even in my own family. Since you're Catholic, I would have thought you'd want to know why Harper is giving less than Canada had promised even though our economy is doing as well as it is. I would have thought you'd care about Africans the same way that you care about Canadians since we are all brothers and God loves us all equally, so you would care about our PM doing what was best for everyone and not just for you as a Canadian citizen. Charity work is one of the few things I agree with the church on. Get rid of that and I'd honestly feel the Catholic Church has no use in our world.

BTW, criticizing Bono for being rich and saying he wants to help the poor could not be more hypocritical coming from a catholic when the Vatican is practically rolling in wealth (all those priceless works of art could pay for a lot of charity work to help their flock). I'm not going to criticize the pope for wearing expensive shoes and jewelry because that isn't what matters to me as long as he's still working to help others.

 

[Just the Facts]

And how much do you know about the issue? If you are an expert in the field, I wouldn't see the problem.

There's more than one issue in the world.

 

[tracy]

There's more than one issue in the world.

OK, which field do you want to discuss with the PM and how much time have you devoted to that goal? You can always call your MP.

 

[sanctus]

It isn't about meeting a rock star. It's about explaining why Canada has "recalculated" the commitment we made a few years ago to aiding the poorest people on earth (recalculated meaning deciding we'd give less than we promised).

s.

Oh please. With all respect. Don't try and suggest that because I don't feel it is necessary for the PM to meet with a rock star that somehow my faith is lacking!! Or that somehow I am not a good Catholic because I don't see the necessity for my PM to meet with an Irish rock star.

Holy Mother Church has been helping the poor in Africa and elsewhere for centuries and centuries, long before this rock singer decided it was his cause to save the world.

Nor did I once complain about Bono's wealth. Where-ever did that come from?

With the current situation of the world as it is, I would expect my PM to focus on concerns that are pertinent to the welfare of this country and not on rushing to meet some rock star with a cause.

On what terms is Bono qualified to provide advice to a leader of a major economic nation such as ours? Further, under what system of rationality do you feel our PM is to be held accountable to the views of a rock star?

 

[tracy]

Oh please. With all respect. Don't try and suggest that because I don't feel it is necessary for the PM to meet with a rock star that somehow my faith is lacking!! Or that somehow I am not a good Catholic because I don't see the necessity for my PM to meet with an Irish rock star.

Holy Mother Church has been helping the poor in Africa and elsewhere for centuries and centuries.

Nor did I once complain about Bono's wealth. Where-ever did that come from?

With the current situation of the world as it is, I would expect my PM to focus on concerns that are pertinent to the welfare of this country and not on rushing to meet some rock star with a cause.

On what terms is Bono qualified to provide advice to a leader of a major economic nation such as ours? Further, under what system of rationality do you feel our PM is to be held accountable to the views of a rock star?

Where did I say he should be accountable to the views of a rock star? The notion that we should meet our commitments to helping the poor is now just the view of a rock star? It's my view. I honestly would have thought that it would be any honourable person's view that when we promise something we deliver it. It isn't about meeting a rock star at all.

And yes, I don't understand how a person of faith could feel that we shouldn't meet our commitments to aid because we just don't have enough ourselves yet. I don't. I'm sorry if that offends you, but it honestly confuses me. It makes no sense to me that anyone of faith could really think that Canada doesn't have enough to be able to help the poorest people on earth like we promised we would. Like you said, Holy Mother Church is all into helping the poor. I've never heard them say "Well, not until we make sure all the catholics are ok will we help anyone else". That's what I'm hearing on this thread. We have to make sure Canadians have more first, then maybe we'll give our leftovers away. How much is enough for Canada? How much more do we need exactly? I'm not asking us to suffer for the Africans. I realize that's unrealistic. But, we wouldn't be suffering just by meeting the small commitment that we made.

 

[sanctus]

Where did I say he should be accountable to the views of a rock star? The notion that we should meet our commitments to helping the poor is now just the view of a rock star? It's my view. I honestly would have thought that it would be any honourable person's view that when we promise something we deliver it. It isn't about meeting a rock star at all.
.

You're mingling a different slant to the thread. the issue here is should our PM be obligated to meet a rock star. The rest you wrote has nothing to do with the subject of this thread. Not once did I suggest I did not care about the poor in Africa or anywhere. But I do, within the context of this thread, believe it is not important if our PM meets with a rock singer.

 

[Just the Facts]

OK, which field do you want to discuss with the PM and how much time have you devoted to that goal? You can always call your MP.

I want to talk about federal transfer payments to the provinces and why my province is able to justify charging me a health surcharge on my taxes by referring to diminished federal transfer payments. In other words, I have to give the province money because the money I gave to the province was kept by the feds. I also have a thing or two to say about foreign trained doctors.

But lets not go there in this thread. :smile:

If I, as a Canadian, should be content to communicate with my Prime Minister indirectly through a lowly MP, then Bono, as a foreigner, can be content to talk to him by visiting the Canadian Embassy in Ireland.

Besides, my MP is a Liberal.

 

[tracy]

You're mingling a different slant to the thread. the issue here is should our PM be obligated to meet a rock star. The rest you wrote has nothing to do with the subject of this thread. Not once did I suggest I did not care about the poor in Africa or anywhere. But I do, within the context of this thread, believe it is not important if our PM meets with a rock singer.

I think the purpose of his meeting is relevant. The purpose was to discuss why Canada chose to reneg on its promise. That matters to me. Sorry if I misinterpreted your comment that the PM should just do what's best for Canadians. It sounded to me like you think Canada shouldn't meet it's commitments to aid that it made a few years ago. Is that the case?

 

[gc]

So it doesn't matter if he accomplishes WAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY more than Mother Teresa (or any one of us)? As long as he isn't living in poverty himself, his efforts are meaningless?

I'm not asking him to live in poverty, I am asking him to bring himself down to the level of the average Canadian before he tells the average Canadian what to do with his or her money. I give waaaaaaaaaaaay more credit to Mother Teresa for doing everything in her power to help the poor. She might not be able to raise as much awareness because she doesn't have the same celebrity status as Bono, but she did everything in her power to help the poor. That's more than I can say for Bono who can't even be bothered to give up his millions of dollars. Granted, he does more than the average millionaire, but that isn't saying much. I give the average Canadian much more respect than Bono for living off a fraction of what he lives off.

 

[triedit]

I just don't see why the non meeting was such a big deal. Harper hasn't met with ME and nobody cares...

 

[Phil B]

So it doesn't matter if he accomplishes WAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY more than Mother Teresa (or any one of us)?

Yeah, like, dude, bono is like umm god and stuff to the halfwit generation *- he's done like umm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more than like umm mother Theresa and stuff - he like sang a couple of songs and stuff- whoa f***ing awesome dude

When exactly was bono of U2 beatified for his life long works in pursuit of gathering his millions of pounds- what next "Saint" Michael of Jackson - just because he sold more records than Bono & U2...

* Halfwit generation - no need to look it up on t'interweb coz I just coined it - definition - those who believe that by posturing and posing people become more worthy than those who actually spend their lives earning worth in service of others rather than cold hard cash in their own bank account.

 

[sanctus]

I think the purpose of his meeting is relevant. The purpose was to discuss why Canada chose to reneg on its promise. That matters to me. Sorry if I misinterpreted your comment that the PM should just do what's best for Canadians. It sounded to me like you think Canada shouldn't meet it's commitments to aid that it made a few years ago. Is that the case?

And since when does the Prime Minister of Canada have to answer for his government's actions to an Irish rock star?

 

[BitWhys]

And since when does the Prime Minister of Canada have to answer for his government's actions to an Irish rock star?

He doesn't but considering who it was it might have done him some good to show he was up to the task.

not that he necessarily was.

and you shouldn't hide behind labels like that. he may be a rock star but they both drew a lot of compliments for being well versed in the issues from those they met with at the last summit.

 

[tracy]

And since when does the Prime Minister of Canada have to answer for his government's actions to an Irish rock star?

That's like saying you shouldn't be allowed to protest the Iraq war because President Bush doesn't have to answer to you since you aren't a citizen of the US or of Iraq.

He has to answer to the world when Canada's word becomes meaningless. It is an international issue, not a national one. He has to answer to me and to you.