No legacy is so rich as honesty - William Shakespeare

Go Back To Music

by Hal_10000

The world’s biggest #2—Bono—has an open letter to Barack Obama that proves that his understanding of economics is slightly worse than his mastery of the english language.  I’ll start out by rewriting it into comprehensible prose, then fisk it in italics.

Mr. President, Barack,

Mr. President:

Every room I have ever been in with you was a much easier room for your presence.

It’s rare to meet a person like you, where intellect and intuition make such a perfect rhyme.

Your very presence lightens the mood in a room.  It is rare to meet a person who is such a perfect match of intellect and intution.

[Just a second, have to vomit.]

Your intuition tells you that the well-being of the American people, spiritually as well as physically, is connected with America’s role in the world.  I know you know that the prosperity of your fellow Americans, though hard fought, is less fulfilling knowing there is so much more that can be done to alleviate poverty and suffering in the developing world.  You know that less than 1 percent of government income as a contribution from the world’s richest economy to the world’s poorest is not a fair tithe — even in times like these — which is why you have promised to double foreign assistance.  As with our own personal sojourn, so it is with country and community -– we discover who we are in service to others.

Surely you know that America’s well-being is related to her role in the world—that Americans’ prosperity means all the more to them when it can ameliorate poverty and suffering.  American contributes less than 1% of its GDP to the rest of the world, an amount you know must increase.

[Of course, government doesn’t have income—it takes income from others.  And Americans give vastly more to private charity than anyone else in the world.  By far.  And it’s not even close.  But, to Bono, if it’s not government, it’s crap!]

I know your intellect — fashioned in the halls of Harvard and on the floor of the United States Senate — has weighed up the evidence on how effective American tax dollars are, when converted into smart, targeted, focused aid.  Putting children into school where they can think freely of freedom.  Giving farmers on the parched land seed varieties that double the size of their crop yields.  Giving mothers 20 cent immunizations to protect their newborns from the deadly viruses that they pass on through childbirth.  I know your intellect has taken in the data and seen the analysis on the transformative power of effective aid in places where the United States flag is currently not one smiled at.  I know you know how much cheaper it is to make friends of potential enemies than to defend yourself at a later date.  I know you know all this stuff.

As an educated man, you know how effective American foreign aid can be.  It can educate children, help farmers increase their yields and vaccinate mothers from passing diseases to their children.  American aide could improve the nation’s image in all parts of the world.  In the long run, this would make friends instead of enemies and prevent expensive wars.

[Yes.  Giving lots of money to corrupt governments has done so much good.  And maybe, Bono, you could start campaigning to allow the GM crops that would insulate farmers from drought and increase yields.  Or maybe you could fight against price controls on prescription drugs that will stifle innovation and prevent cheap medicine that can cure disease.  Or maybe you can start lining up every Marxist, racist and Islamist you can and put a bullet in their head.]

My prayer for you is that your instinct and intellect stay in harmony in the difficult months and triumphant years ahead.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

----

Seriously, how can this bozo be taken seriously?

(PS - I realize, of course, that this could be a fake.  So be it.  It’s so stupid it might as well have been written by Bono.)

Comments

Posted by on 11/15/08 at 04:52 PM from

As we all know via South Park, Bono is a massive turd....literally....

Posted by on 11/16/08 at 03:31 PM from

I never realised what a berk he was until he spoke at the music awards in Liverpool last week. He got from Paul McCartney to the Potato Famine in two sentences.

It’s time to let go…

Posted by on 11/16/08 at 03:50 PM from

Obama and Bono ... two turds floating in the same bowl.

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