Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Clay Aiken is wrong on this point...

CLAY: I think there's definitely a problem--and I'll point to recent charity events--when people go and they talk about the need in an area or a country and they don't have the information. If you come back and you talk about the need in a country and don't know what's going on in the country, then you're completely remiss. There's always a greater cause [to poverty] than throwing money at the issue, and I think the strongest solution, the strongest weapon we have against poverty and hunger is education. When you take a look at something like Idol Gives Back and you realize that the main piece of information we got is that people are hungry in Africa, but we didn't find out why they are hungry in Africa and we didn't out where in Africa they are hungry, nor did we find out the major causes. Without the education about what's going on in the country, we're doing no service except for perpetuating that same stereotype that Africa, or any other country in the world, is lesser than the U.S., and we're in the role that we have to give to them.

Yes, I agree that idol gave almost no information about the plights covered.

They cannot do so, it would be political. There are no simple statements that can be made. One statement leads to another and another and another, and pretty soon there's a possible indictment of capitalism. If Bono was on the show giving it the thumbs up and even smiling (he's getting old), then Clay...be real.

I agree that the general term you're throwing around 'education' is important. But don't slam American Idol, they did the right thing. All heads of the capitalist monster should be turning their necks and vomiting cash judiciously at this point in hisory. Millions of dollars is real help. Don't let ideology take that help away from people.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What you have written is so on the mark. There is just something tacky about putting down others trying to do good. Has Clay Aiken's star fallen so far, that he has to resort to such tactics to bring attention to himself?

"Had we taken a hard look at the needs of women and children in Afghanistan in 1996, it's possible that we could have prevented September 11, 2001." - Clay Aiken

This quote really sickens me...

MarT said...

Thanks for the feedback. As far as his Afghanistan comments, he's implying that the terrorists do what they do for a cause. I'm no expert, but what I've seen leads me to believe that they are in the same league as the enemies they denounce, and have no cause but themselves. September 11 was not Bono in a Boeing. I don't think people suffering is the cause of the terrorism we see. It's a power struggle.
Thanks again.