<Merged> Bono isn't the Worst/Bono is the worst

OutlawPete

Saadyst wrote: »

Also, I'm not Irish, but I've noticed Irish people in general don't like anyone that is anywhere near successful or doing anything positive.

Begrudgery? In Ireland?

I won't hear of the scurrilous accusation :mad:

No no no no, it can't be I tell you ..

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055804579

Sea Sharp

I thought the Joshua Tree was good. He deserves a bit o' smug after that.

Big Mouth

Saadyst wrote: »

It's cool to hate on Bono, and say U2's music is rubbish. But it'll turn around, eventually it'll become mainstream to hate them, and then people will not want to be mainstream, and say they like them again.





Also, I'm not Irish, but I've noticed Irish people in general don't like anyone that is anywhere near successful or doing anything positive.

True, the internet is a big driver in this hateful thinking and I bet most of these posters would cream themselves if they met Bono;)

Big Mouth

celtic Liger wrote: »

you know, i've only ever heard irish people say that. people of the world think we're alcoholics. and not even friendly ones at that.

I've been all over the world, we are known for a friendliness by alot of people. I'm proud of that and its sad to see that ebbing away.

gollem_1975

InkSlinger67 wrote: »

I heard him being described as "A Useful Idiot" in mainstream media recently and I'd have to agree

Useful puppet for politicians and incorrect spokesman for Africa

the term "useful idiot" was coined by Stalin to describe people in the west who supported socialism/communism... He probably would have called SWP and RBB "useless idiots" were he still alive though :pac:

was that info useful ?

starbelgrade

Big Mouth wrote: »

True, the internet is a big driver in this hateful thinking and I bet most of these posters would cream themselves if they met Bono;)

You have a point - I met Bono & the Edge in a bar in Dublin around 12 years ago.. they were just drinking there with a few mates, no entourage, no bodyguards & were having the craic with anyone who said hello to them. They were really down to earth - Gavin Friday was with them & started doing impersonations of Bono - really ripping the p*ss out of him & had Bono & the rest of the bar on the floor laughing.

His media persona isn't the best though, it has to be said - he comes across like a bit of a tw*t in fairness, but even the band acknowledge that - I've seen Larry Mullen squirm at some of the stuff he says in both interviews & onstage.

As a band though, U2 have released some amazing albums - in the 80's they released 5 classic albums... Boy, War, October, The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree. The last one was the only really major commercial success & kinda blew them into the stratosphere of uncoolness. In fairness, they didn't do themselves any favours in that respect by releasing Rattle & Hum after that along with it's atrocious cinema release, but they pulled some credibilty back with Achtung Baby & Zooropa in the early 1990's.

Though like a lot of bands who've milked it for too long (Rolling Stones comes to mind), they haven't released a decent album since 1993. So, after nearly 20 years of saying nothing much worthwhile musically & talking through his holio, I can see why people can't stand the little man that was named after a shop that sold hearing aids.

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I suppose he definitely isn't evil, he's just overexposed, much to much so, I heard him say one time himself that even he was sick of Bono and he has seemed to have taken a lower profile lately (though maybe the shíte last album has something to do with that)

But whenever all is said and done, he has done a lot of good things.
I was watching Reeling in the Years the last day and while I find Geldof to be fairly insufferable, it was the year in which he orgainised Live Aid. Now say what you like about him, and whatever may have happened the money with the benefit of hindsight, but LiveAid was a bloddy enormous and wildly successful undertaking that will never be repeated again and is something he can really be proud of. Everyone saw those news reports of Famine, but he decided to do something and he really did something.
So I'll take my hat off to Gelgod for that.
And also to Bono, a royal pain in the arse, a bit of a hypocrit, but his heart is in the right place and he's made more effort than any of us ever will probably

Big Mouth

Ainsley Small Recruiter wrote: »

I suppose he definitely isn't evil, he's just overexposed, much to much so, I heard him say one time himself that even he was sick of Bono and he has seemed to have taken a lower profile lately (though maybe the shíte last album has something to do with that)

But whenever all is said and done, he has done a lot of good things.
I was watching Reeling in the Years the last day and while I find Geldof to be fairly insufferable, it was the year in which he orgainised Live Aid. Now say what you like about him, and whatever may have happened the money with the benefit of hindsight, but LiveAid was a bloddy enormous and wildly successful undertaking that will never be repeated again and is something he can really be proud of. Everyone saw those news reports of Famine, but he decided to do something and he really did something.
So I'll take my hat off to Gelgod for that.
And also to Bono, a royal pain in the arse, a bit of a hypocrit, but his heart is in the right place and he's made more effort than any of us ever will probably

Thats exactly what I was trying to say....bravo

m@cc@

Ainsley Small Recruiter wrote: »

And also to Bono, a royal pain in the arse, a bit of a hypocrit, but his heart is in the right place and he's made more effort than any of us ever will probably

This is the point. I don't love Bono but he's a decent person. He's given more to the human cause than I ever will. He's raised awareness to the suffering and the only reason he continues to bang on about it is that it's still going on. Who's to say what monetary contributions he's made. Even then, you can give other things to a cause than money.

To those who criticise him for moving for tax reasons, the vast majority of his income is made outside of Ireland and he's taxed globally because of this. There would be a lot on here who would be more than willing to find a way to pay less taxes.

Of course he's a self-publicist and probably has a huge ego, why is that seen as such a terrible thing in Irish society? Do we always have to go out our business quiety and meekly?

Scram

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

When the self serving twat starts paying taxes in his struggling country I might fein interest in his dealings.

Sums up bono perfectly imo..

sponsoredwalk

A mole
Digging in a hole
Digging up my soul now
Going down, excavation

starbelgrade

Scram wrote: »

Sums up bono perfectly imo..

U2 only recently decided to move their business accounts off shore due to a change in the Irish tax system which saw a rise in taxes on them by 42%. Every smart business on earth tries to minimize taxes. Every smart individual, too. I make sure to take advantage of every deduction the law allows.

Their RED line of clothing & merchandise donates 40% of all it's profits to charity. They are also sizeable contributors & supporters of Amnesty International, the Burma Campaign U.K., DATA, which stands for Debt, AIDS, Trade and Africa, the environmental group Greenpeace and ONE.

In addition to that, they own several hotels, bars & eateries in Dublin which all pay taxes & employ people.

For over 30 years, they've been one of Ireland's best exports & paid a significant amount of taxes over those years in Ireland until they moved their accounts to the Netherlands a short while back.

So what have you done recently?

m@cc@

KevinVonSpiel wrote: »

I see any one who is a good father or a good mother or anyone who cares for another human being who needs that care has done about as much in a week

That's a rather glib way of taking the posters comment. He was clearly talking about humanitarian work. As cold as it sounds, on a global scale a parent caring for their kid means shite all in comparison to reducing the suffering of millions in poverty and persecution.

Donkey Oaty

I had a very long argument with Bono in a pub once about whether or not he lived up to the spirit of his lyrics.

Every time I walked away he followed me.

m@cc@

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

I had a very long argument with Bono in a pub once about whether or not he lived up to the spirit of his lyrics.

Every time I walked away he followed me.

C-

Scram

starbelgrade wrote: »

U2 only recently decided to move their business accounts off shore due to a change in the Irish tax system which saw a rise in taxes on them by 42%. Every smart business on earth tries to minimize taxes. Every smart individual, too. I make sure to take advantage of every deduction the law allows.

Their RED line of clothing & merchandise donates 40% of all it's profits to charity. They are also sizeable contributors & supporters of Amnesty International, the Burma Campaign U.K., DATA, which stands for Debt, AIDS, Trade and Africa, the environmental group Greenpeace and ONE.

In addition to that, they own several hotels, bars & eateries in Dublin which all pay taxes & employ people.

For over 30 years, they've been one of Ireland's best exports & paid a significant amount of taxes over those years in Ireland until they moved their accounts to the Netherlands a short while back.

So what have you done recently?

Erm topic isnt about what i or anyone else has done, its about Bono...

KevinVonSpiel

m@cc@ wrote: »

That's a rather glib way of taking the posters comment. He was clearly talking about humanitarian work. As cold as it sounds, on a global scale a parent caring for their kid means shite all in comparison to reducing the suffering of millions in poverty and persecution.

Good point, let's leave out caring for your kids then... what of lots of folks who care for those who need care?

I vomit on the ease with which some people say things like; X has done more than many of us ever will...

m@cc@

KevinVonSpiel wrote: »

Good point, let's leave out caring for your kids then... what of lots of folks who care for those who need care?

I vomit on the ease with which some people say things like; X has done more than many of us ever will...

Not the point I was making and you know it. A parent caring for their kid in Ireland isn't going to feed a community in Rwanda.

starbelgrade

Scram wrote: »

Erm topic isnt about what i or anyone else has done, its about Bono...

Yes it is. And he's paid his dues in taxes. Whatever else you can say about him, you can't accuse him of that.

Donkey Oaty

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yes it is. And he's paid his dues in taxes. Whatever else you can say about him, you can't accuse him of that.

You clearly have no understanding whatsoever of the tax exemptions that Bono benefited from in Ireland.

KevinVonSpiel

m@cc@ wrote: »

A parent caring for their kid in Ireland isn't going to feed a community in Rwanda.

I agree. My point is that there are a lot of people who do a lot of good work, beyond family, who are treated as if invisible by the likes of brown-nosing statements such as; Mr. X has done more than many of us here ever will...

I think that it is a statement like that that is glib by any definition of the word I know.

He isn't the worst! In fact, the OP goes on to tell us;

He's done more in a week than most of us will do in our little lives.

That is a kind of bullshit rhetoric that should stay in our smokey past.

KevinVonSpiel

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yes it is. And he's paid his dues in taxes. Whatever else you can say about him, you can't accuse him of that.

How sure are you of his (or anyone else's) having paid his (their) dues in taxes?

Seriously?

I would imagine it would take some months of research to form an opinion on that score.

OutlawPete

Both sides ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWZ8jLRgTVY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23iTpYJKXss

Orange69

I cringe every time I see or hear bono, its at the point that if one of their songs comes on the car radio I will switch stations immediatley.. It almost a reflex.

m@cc@

KevinVonSpiel wrote: »

I agree. My point is that there are a lot of people who do a lot of good work, beyond family, who are treated as if invisible by the likes of brown-nosing statements such as; Mr. X has done more than many of us here ever will...

I think that it is a statement like that that is glib by any definition of the word I know.

He isn't the worst! In fact, the OP goes on to tell us;

He's done more in a week than most of us will do in our little lives.

That is a kind of bullshit rhetoric that should stay in our smokey past.

Granted, the OP doesn't go himself any favours with the 'little lives' part. I'd hope that it was in response to people saying Bono is a hypocrite because he doesn't give money to charity (which isn't proven). He does much more than give money.

KevinVonSpiel wrote: »

How sure are you of his (or anyone else's) having paid his (their) dues in taxes?

The fact that he hasn't been prosecuted for tax evasion?

Orange69

m@cc@ wrote: »

I'd hope that it was in response to people saying Bono is a hypocrite because he doesn't give money to charity (which isn't proven). He does much more than give money.

Yes, he guilt trips people (the stupid variety) into giving their money to charity.

m@cc@

Orange69 wrote: »

Yes, he guilt trips people (the stupid variety) into giving their money to charity.

I've never been guilted in giving money. If I'm honest, I've never actually seen or heard Bono asking people to give money. I'm of the impression the majority of his work is with world leaders asking them to provide aid and/or reduce the debt of African countries.

Orange69

m@cc@ wrote: »

I'm of the impression the majority of his work is with world leaders asking them to provide aid and/or reduce the debt of African countries.

Precisely my point.

m@cc@

Orange69 wrote: »

Precisely my point.

So you have issues with him lobbying world leaders? Is it really a bad thing to ask rich countries to write off the debt of poorer countries who can't afford it? You're straining to do some explaining.

Orange69

m@cc@ wrote: »

So you have issues with him lobbying world leaders? Is it really a bad thing to ask rich countries to write off the debt of poorer countries who can't afford it? You're straining to do some explaining.

Yes, If bono is genuinely concerned he should start by donating all of his own fortune as aid to Africa. Then perhaps I might have some respect for him.

On a more serious note, writing off debt and giving aid to the 3rd world simply increases population and continues the cycle of dependence and apathy. It is this misguided, guilt based behavior which will eventually turn the entire planet into a welfare state. And countries like Ireland will be picking up the tab.