Live-8 eclipses G-8 in media, not in promise

Scotland was home to the G-8 summit last week, where the leaders
of eight industrialized nations gathered to decide how they were
going to behave in and toward the rest of the world in the years to
come.

During its three-day meeting at the exclusive resort in
Gleneagles, the coven failed colossally to see the irony in trying
to help poor nations from one of the United Kingdom’s nicest
hotels.

They did manage to cancel the debt of 18 of the world’s
poorest nations, including 14 in Africa, and pledged to provide the
continent (remember folks, it’s not a country) with $50
billion in extra aid over the next five years. They also
miraculously managed to get President Bush to concede that humans
cause global warming.

This shocking revelation that pollution from cars and industry
has an effect on the environment didn’t prompt Bush to sign
the Kyoto Protocol, though, and the United States remains the only
G-8 nation that has yet to do so.

Promises have been made in the past, but after the fanfare and
photo ops of previous gatherings, the members of the G-8 have
repeatedly cut the aid they had pledged at the meetings to little
notice from the rest of the world.

But G-8 was a success. At least that’s what Bono told
us.

In fact, the perpetually sunglasses-clad rocker got more
attention this week than any of the political leaders in
Scotland.

News coverage of anything with the number eight in it last week
was mostly focused on the paparazzi fodder that was going on behind
the scenes, onstage and in the crowd of the Bono-initiated Live-8
concerts.

The shows that were declared by the U2 frontman to be akin to
climbing a mountain were created to “raise awareness”
about global poverty. But they didn’t feed any starving
children or put clothes on anyone’s back.

Around the globe, iPods were filled with downloaded bootlegs of
the first live performance by Pink Floyd in 24 years, acoustic
Audioslave tracks, and Snoop Dogg rapping to a crowd of
concertgoers who probably still know less about poverty in Africa
than he does.

Fists were raised, choruses were sung, but what was really
accomplished? The worldwide concerts got people thinking and
talking, but not necessarily about what the organizers had in
mind.

“Did you see that guy from The Verve sing with
Coldplay?” will likely be asked more than, “Can you
believe the horrible living conditions in Africa?”

Backstage was an Oscar-caliber afterparty, as Brad Pitt spoke
with ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow, had drinks with U2, and talked
about how horrible poverty is. Platitudes were served on a silver
platter.

Eliciting change requires action and actual understanding of
issues ““ more than can be provided by attending or watching a
free rock concert.

The 2005 G-8 summit won’t be remembered for ending poverty
in the world, if it’s remembered at all. And the concerts of
Live-8 won’t go down in history as world-changing, or even as
a great series of shows. They’ll just be something MTV used
to broadcast on Saturday afternoons.