Live8

LIVE 8: The Long Walk to Justice
10 Cities, 10 global landmarks. 1 million in Philly, 200,000 in London, 5 billion potential viewers through TV... united to try to capture the true "freedom" and "power to change" inherent in rock and roll and music when it's at its best. It's not about the beat. It's not about the lyrics. It's the power to unite, the power to change, to rile up support and promote awareness. This is a beautiful example of the quixotic push by rock and roll to change the world.

So apparently there's a lot less awareness about this initiative than I realized. Live8 is Live Aid part II, twenty years later, pushing for change for the better in Africa. We're combating burdens of debt, poverty, sickness, disease, drought. Problems that the wealthy of the world are easily able to combat, but the poor of the world are cripples beyond the ability to assist themselves. The stat they're throwing out the most is that a child dies every 3 seconds on the African continent--because of things we have the power to prevent! So what does the Western world do? We throw a rock concert! The tagline--"we don't want your money--we want your name."

So how do I really feel about this? Well, generally, I'm a supporter of most of these issues. As a strong devotee to Catholic Social Justice theory, I do feel we have a social obligation to the poor and the downtrodden, not to impose our own world views or beliefs or standards on them, but to give them an equal chance at asserting themselves--essentially allowing themselves a right to live. For those of my readers who have joined the Randian Objectivist camp (an increasing number of you--it's the school of thought from Ayn Rand--"The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged), what I have to say to you, is that sometimes (often) personal success and wealth is derived by extracting it from others at the expense of their suffering and general injustice. At that point, I feel that a burden still exists, even if you devote yourselves to the cult of the self. If the self succeeds and obtains wealth at someone elses expense, than some of it should be given back in giving others a fair chance to live. I'm not arguing for an easy way out (which is why I may or may not agree with debt forgiveness--certainly not without a set of guidelines!)--I'm arguing for a more fair playing field. Life isn't fair. We hear that time and time again. By why should we perpetuate the status quo? If we can find it within our power to change that, at least a little bit, give more people a fair and equal chance at life, success, and happiness, why shouldn't we? Besides, I think not a small number of us would fnd further happiness and success in the pursuit of that goal for others....

Anyway, that's what this is about. Pushing our leaders to change. They are (largely) in the offices they are at the will of an electorate. We have expressed our choices to let them command our eight global pwoerhouses. But they are elected to express the will of the electorate. So let's show them our will. They've already expressed a willingness to change before the meeting. I'm not always an idealist, and I recognize the futility of adding your name to a list of suppot in favor of these types of intiatives. And doubtless many concert goers are just going for a good time and the energy and buzz of the mob that you extroverts out there are addicted to. But perhaps at the end of the day, with the persuasive messages of the more eloquent rockers and presents, more of the audience will walk away more aware, more empowered, more incited to change. Activate the activist and kill the apathetic! Perhaps, for a few days, we'll look up from our dinner plates and do more than just comment on "how horrible" things are in the rest of the world. For these few days, just perhaps, we might shout with one voice, that this world needs to lift up and change itself. If we express ourselves, just maintain our patience for these few days, push, protest, and rumble in an effort for the 8 most powerful politicians on the planet to turn their heads and look towards the forgotten dark continent, far removed from the global triad (North America, Europe, Asia/Oceania), we can cause some change. The promoters aren't asking for your money, which would probably just get poured down the drain or fund some new dictator's car. They're asking for your name, for your voice, and for your support. As individuals, we can do so little. But as a united mass, we always have the power to change. So let us push our leaders to ennact these changes and promote a TRUE world of globalization in which more of the countries of the world are embraced and have a fairer chance at life.

So let us hope. And let us shout with one voice. Let us not be foolish, but let us be impassioned. I sally forth on these Quixotic dreams, but enough of us together can conquer the real ills and malaises of the world. We fight not windmills, but giants.

That's how I feel about that. Rock on and turn the nob up to 11!