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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gamesmistress who wrote (240250)	2/28/2008 3:36:33 PM
From: gamesmistress	Respond to of 794009

Libertas Film has some good stuff lately: — Dirty Harry @ 9:24 am How To Be A Liberal, Anti-War Celebrity-Activist What a terrific piece British rocker Bob Geldof wrote for Time Magazine about his time spent with President Bush. It not only vents Geldof’s frustration with the American media’s refusal to credit Bush for the good work being done in Africa but touches on Geldof’s discomfort with the Iraq War in a way that should be a template for how any celebrity-activist wanting to be taken seriously should carry oneself: I don’t know how [Geldof writes], but eventually we arrive at the great unspoken. “See, I believe we’re in an ideological struggle with extremism,” says the President. “These people prey on the hopeless. Hopelessness breeds terrorism. That’s why this trip is a mission undertaken with the deepest sense of humanity, because those other folks will just use vulnerable people for evil. Like in Iraq.” I don’t want to go there. I have my views and they’re at odds with his, and I don’t want to spoil the interview or be rude in the face of his hospitality. “Ah, look Mr. President. I don’t want to do this really. We’ll get distracted and I’m here to do Africa with you.” “OK, but we got rid of tyranny.” It sounded like the television Bush. It sounded too justificatory, and he doesn’t ever have to justify his Africa policy. This is the person who has quadrupled aid to the poorest people on the planet. I was more comfortable with that. But his expression asked for agreement and sympathy, and I couldn’t provide either. “Mr. President, please. There are things you’ve done I could never possibly agree with and there are things I’ve done in my life that you would disapprove of, too. And that would make your hospitality awkward. The cost has been too much. History will play itself out.” “I think history will prove me right,” he shoots back. “Who knows,” I say. It wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t uncomfortable. He is convinced, like Tony Blair, that he made the right decision. “I’m comfortable with that decision,” he says. But he can’t be. The laws of unintended consequences would determine that. At one point I suggest that he will never be given credit for good policies, like those here in Africa, because many people view him “as a walking crime against humanity.” He looks very hurt by that. And I’m sorry I said it, because he’s a very likable fellow. Bush is doing in Africa what he’s doing in Iraq. While Barack Obama is prepared to meet with our enemies, Bush is eradicating the root cause of terrorism and that’s the hopelessness of life under dictatorship. Now, Geldof isn’t able to connect that what Bush is doing in Africa is no different than what’s happening in Iraq, and that’s fine because Geldof isn’t willfully blind to the rest. This isn’t a celebrity with Bush Derangement Syndrome speaking truth to power! This is a reasonable man who disagrees with Bush’s decision to go into Iraq (a reasonable position), but not so deranged with anger he can’t do business with the man or openly acknowledge his virtues. I have many disagreements with Geldof and his pal Bono, but I also have enormous respect for both because both are serious and reasonable; both are celebrity-activists I’m open to when it comes to their politics. And for me that’s a huge concession because much of my life the past two-years has been spent right here ridiculing the celebrity-activist. The difference between a Bono and the too-many Clooneys out there is that Bono spends a lot more time talking more about what America does right than what America does wrong. Bono believes that America is a force for good in the world and that we can be better. He appeals to America through his optimism that regardless of his political differences, we’re a country he can do business with because we’re already a generous and decent people living in a generous and decent country. This is not about flattery, it’s about intellectual honesty. Celebrities who trash America are liars and I don’t respect liars. It’s fine to criticize America, I’ve done it myself, but I’d better hear some context within the criticism. Bono and Geldof criticize American foreign policy but only within an intellectually honest context, and whether I agree or disagree with the criticism I know these are men of character worth listening to. Judging from this piece, Bob Geldof’s position on the Iraq War is no different than that of Susan Sarandon or Sean Penn, but it’s a position expressed thoughtfully and with respect towards both our President and country. If every liberal, anti-war celebrity-activist presented themselves like Bono and Bob Geldof I’d be out of business. libertyfilmfestival.com