Live8 and Oil

Cameron has posted The G8 Summit and Live 8: A Fraud and a Circus.
Firstly, with John Pilger, it's a bit like receiving an email from a friend telling me to delete some software with a teddy bear icon, or warning me about a new Internet get rich scheme, or someone needing help.  I always doubt these things and check them out on Snopes first.  Similarly, with Pilger and his rants, I always want to check out first if his facts are right, or what slant he's giving them.
I don't know the answer this time round.

But, I too felt uncomfortable about Live8.  I've never liked Bono or U2.  Just a personal thing, and I just never got it with their music.

Bob Geldof I'm not so sure about.  I think he means well, and deals in a world of grey, and not black and white.  I'm sure he is compromised sometimes, but better that he does something than nothing, even if it does mean he sells more records.  I don't think that's what drives him, but I'm sure most of the other white stars want the ego trip and extra record sales, for one day of their lives.
The quickest measure of how well meaning celebrities are, is what names they give their kids.
If it's Apple or Peaches, then you know that ego comes ahead of anything else, because if you really meant well, you wouldn't add to the misery of being a celebrity child by giving them a name which continues your own fame.

Live8 or not, I think Pilger is probably right with the G8 attitude.  I don't believe for one minute that those G8 leaders have any desire whatsoever to make sacrifices to help Africa, without helping themselves.

But things are changing.  What will drive G8 is......China.
If it's true that China have bought up some of Zimbabwe's debt, then you can bet most of the remaining African debt, that good 'ol USA will not want China to have too much control in Africa.
So alas it won't be the goodness of the G8 leader's little hearts that drives for real change in financial arrangements in Africa, but the threat of China.

China have so far bought Argentina and Zimbabwe!  When do you think the penny will drop with America.  Imagine how many countries America could buy if they weren't burning up money in Iraq and Afghanistan!! 

Or maybe that's the deeper meaning of what's going on.  America is going for an oil strategy, and China is going for a people and geographic strategy.  China can't move without oil, and America needs more markets and labour.