Bob Geldorf has organized a giant media event for the 4th of July weekend: Live 8.
It's stated intention is is to end the deaths of "30,000 children" who perish due to "extreme poverty".
8 world leaders, gathered in Scotland for the G8 summit, will be presented with a workable plan to double aid, drop the debt and make the trade laws fair. If these 8 men agree, then we will become the generation that made poverty history.
End poverty throughout the world!
Sweet.
You might ask, how do they intend to do this?
What does Geldof want them to do?
He has three aims – to cancel Third World debt, to double international aid, and to introduce fair trade, as set out by the Make Poverty History campaign.
And what does fair trade mean?
The Make Poverty History campaign believes trade rules are loaded in favour of the wealthiest countries, which flood poor countries with subsidised goods and drive down the price of local produce.
Well that's true. We've been arguing with Europe, especially France, for years to end government subsidies of their farm industry. Unfortunately, the governments can't do this alone because if this were to happen, the French would rise up and start to put their leaders to the guillotine. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has come out against European farm subsidies, but that hasn't changed the situation any and is unlikely to if France won't consider it.
Of course the US subsidizes farmers as well. President Bush is attempting to severely cut back the subsidies provided by the Government, but the constituency likely isn't there. Like the France of America, California is against it.
Here in Vermont, dairy prices are subsidized with the excuse being that without them traditional family farms would go under because the price of milk is too low. Called the Northeast Dairy Compact, all of our (liberal) Congressional delegation supported it. Sen Patrick Leahy wrote
Mr. Chairman, I do thank you and want to leaven our discussion with a little levity. But before I start, I want to say that dairy policy is a serious topic – it represents a way a life for farm families throughout America.
I do not want dairy farmers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Iowa, North Carolina, Vermont, or anywhere else to go out of business because of failed dairy policies or a stacked deck.
I say this to everyone: I will support, and vote for, reasonable legislation that helps dairy farmers in the Upper Midwest, in the South, in California, or elsewhere to get a fair price for their labor. I will work with any region of the country.
And such subsidies are fought for by the Left who, in general, think the free market is cruel.
But, it seems, Mr Geldorf doesn't agree. He must be a free marketer, yet, it seems, his concert is being marketed to the Left.
So while many are critical, or simply smile at the naivete of such an undertaking, I say
Go Bob!
Any help we can get to end these subsidies is definitely welcome.
See? At least I agree with one of the stated goals of Live 8.
I could have criticised the other goals, but in this case, I've decided to accentuate the positive.