I'm on Hiatus, But Here's My Second Post of the Day

Exactly.

Couldn't have said it better myself.  I mean, I did solve global poverty with a modest proposal, but this writer makes the point more gracefully with his "Parable of the Good-Looking Samaritan."  (HT:  Fay)

And I love the idea:  Buy less crap.  Give more.  Imagine that.

Comments

[becky]

I was kinda thinking that at the time....but dang they sure made it attractive....buy less stuff...give more...WOW

[RevJeff]

Yeah, but you see.... you would have gotten more PLAY if you had taken a photo with... OPRAH, SHAUN, ELMO... pretty much anybody on a red carpet when you made your "modest proposal." But, NOOOOOO, you insisted on the photo of a "buff DJ with moderately good hair holding an accordian."

Its about the BLING, baby. Especially when you are trying to solve poverty issues...

[U of I Alum in Chicago]

honestly, i'd rather hang out with the mini-mall guy rather than Bonooprah. i wonder what it's like having to be "on" all the time.

does giving because it generates good publicity mean less than giving because we truly want to help? or am i just full of myself?

[Richmart]

From dictionary.com:

hi·a·tus /haɪˈeɪtəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[hahy-ey-tuhs] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -tus·es, -tus.
1. a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.

[Doug Hannah]

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried"

File under "Stolen from Chesterton, but he's dead so what's he going to do about it"

[Monica Battaile]

I believe that's a (RED)-do Bono...sorry. Try again.

[Rebecca]

As someone in marketing, I have to say that I was very excited about both the (RED) campaign, and the ONE campaign. People are talking about AIDS that were not before, and supporting AIDS by buying things they would buy anyways. Bono has consistently over the years invested his time and resources and starpower to do something... in ways that perhaps no other public figure has. It's easy to be a critic and complain about how he's doing it, as the writer of this article did, and many others have. But have they invested as much of themselves and their resources in this cause? No, they haven't. So, frankly, it's easy to be a critic. Bono may not get it right every time... none of us do... but he has made a conscientious effort and devoted himself to issues that were previously under the radar of the majority of America. He should receive our support, and our encouragement to find new ways to tackle the same problem, not our finger pointing.

[Brant]

I happen to agree with you, largely, regarding Bono. I have immense respect for the guy (bordering on too much?) but don't note that much on the blog. I also thought, when I picked a picture, "Uh-oh -- this may become about Bono."

It's not. It's about a culture that's about "awareness", but not sacrifice. In other words, a culture that talks about other people's problems, but only because it's still about ourselves. It makes us feel good. We're aware. We have a new iPod. Yay, us.

And, when it comes to aid, the question should matter, "Does this actually work?"

If it's really about us, that question won't often come up. And, as it happens, it rarely does. That's telling.

As for finding "new ways", it's debatable, highly, that Bono is doing that. He's finding great new ways, yes, of putting the issue on the radar screen, which is wonderful. The solutions being offered aren't generally revolutionary, and haven't generally worked.

[Monica Battaile]

Yes, but they COULD have just taken the first $100 million they used for the advertising instead of the $18 million it brought in. OR they could be giving more of the proceeds to whatever campaign it's going to.

[Rebecca]

Brant, thanks for the clarification. I think we're largely actually on the same page. I agree as a society that sacrifice is not part of our vocabulary, and it should be. Not just in buying less, but also buying responsibly... we'll do anything to save a buck, but what is that savings costing our local and larger community?

I worked for a nonprofit for four years that was trying to cure a nasty, fatal disease. I lost many friends during and after those four years to that little-known and under-funded disease... deaths that often seemed pointless when you looked at the all the research dollars being spent on conditions much less fatal, much less devastating, and, even from an economic standpoint, much less costly.

So I suppose because of that experience, when I see someone like Bono raising public awareness, although I completely agree there is so much more to it that our society needs to bite onto, I am still slightly jealous, and in awe. Because he got Congress' attention, he increased the US' funding to these issues, and partially because more people are talking about it. Maybe if a Bono-like figure tapped into the disease I worked to cure, maybe, just maybe, some of my friends would still be alive because there would actually be a treatment thanks to an increase in funding and a nationwide commitment to see the suffering caused by this disease decrease.

And I can't help but think that there are people like me in Africa, grateful for the treatments provided by the 50% in proceeds received from the stupid red phone some capitalist in America bought so they could have something pretty.

We should and need to do so much more, especially as a Christian community, but it's a place to start.

PS- Thanks for getting people talking about issues like these...

[Monica Battaile]

Rebecca, my problem with the RED campaign is this:

When you buy that RED Ipod for $199, only $10 goes to the Global Fund, and then they take their 10%. So of your $200, only $9.90 goes to Global Fund - not 50% like everyone seems to think it does.

http://joinred.blogspot.com/

(See "How (RED) works")

The Global Fund, after reading through pages upon pages of stuff, seems to use their money well. As a matter of fact, I was impressed that they only take 10% and use the other 90%. I was also impressed that it's not just about HIV, it's about TB and malaria.

I am more willing to send my money to Christian Children's Fund, or now Global Fund, directly than to spend $200 on an Ipod and think that I'm contributing more that way, because I'm not. I'm contributing to an ad campaign.

And I'm sorry Brant, but you say the words "(RED) Campaign" and of course everyone is going to think about Bono. My question is, when are the stars going to start gearing their ad campaigns towards helping their fellow Americans? The homeless, the ones here that are dying of numerous diseases? It was always my feeling that if Brangelina (one example) had gotten some sort of campaign going for the disaster areas from the 2005 storms (there were many others hit besides LA - TX, MS, AL, FL) that they would be a little better off in their rebuilding efforts than they are now. For instance, how about Frito-Lay donating 1% of it's profits? I'm not saying don't help out other countries, but I am saying let's also help out our fellow countryman.

[justin]

buying less and giving more is great, but still doesn't solve the problem. as Ryan said, money isn't the solution, it's a part of it. we need to get involved on a personal level.

[Lisa]

How long is this hiatus anyway? You are ruining my life.