Sail 8 - Anyone likely to take part?

Oh dear - only saw the Geldof announcement. Poor woman is letting celebrity go to her head. She shouldn't get mixed up in Geldof's self-indulgent, self-publicity stunts - only encourages the guy. I'm all for sorting out debt in Africa but can't ignore the fact that a lot of the money pumped in to the place has ended up in Swiss banks, palaces and nepotistic aggrandisement.
 
No - if I was going into the ferry business, it would be "illegals" since they at least pay a decent rate. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Good on you Duncan . . .

However, by now you will have read the replies and discovered that basicly yachting is full of reactionary old fogeys who think Sir Bob is a smelly old hippy with more money than sense and that Africa deserves to starve.

Personally I think it would be very good for sailing's image to get involved with this - but of course I am an irresponsible idiot because I don't have any money . . .

- Nick
 
Nick,

its a difficult one this... I have some sympathy with the ideals,
it would, I agree, be great publicity for the boating fraternity! but....
Is backing an ageing hippy/rock star the best way to get money flowing into Africa?

However you are correct, 150,000 children a month die of starvation, so the comments regarding despots are of little relevance if you put rice into starving kids bowls!

poter
 
Re: Bob\'s yer uncle

Poter,

Bob Geldof is just about the only man who HAS managed to put a lot of extra aid into Africa. He embarrassed HM gov so much they had to knight him . . .

So yes, backing Bob probably IS the best way of putting rice in bowls.

- Nick
 
Well - you won't have any by now - we were a bit over zealous on your generosity last Thursday... anyway we all loved the beer and the grub and thanks very much on behalf of all of us
 
Re: Trouser empyting

erm . . .

Was under the impresh that we had merely put a pint in the tap for you and LJ - did we in fact pick up your tab for the entire evening?

Time for a fundraising concert then . . .

- Nick
 
Duncan,

Can't take part but am glad that you raised the subject. If we don't dare to think differently nothing will change.

OK, Bob Geldorf may be a bit eccentric but his heart in the right place.

I hope that you and others go to show some solidarity with the cause.

Chris
 
[ QUOTE ]
Duncan,

Can't take part but am glad that you raised the subject. If we don't dare to think differently nothing will change.

OK, Bob Geldorf may be a bit eccentric but his heart in the right place.

I hope that you and others go to show some solidarity with the cause.

Chris

[/ QUOTE ]
bet Branson gets in on the act, hes not bin-ont-telly lately /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
I guess I might be interested, although my boat is a bit small for channel hopping (24ft) unless it was v.flat.

More to the point, I wish Sir B would highlight more that the true causes of poverty are as much about incompetant administration and warmongering rebels that keep sending African countries backwards every time they try and move forwards. It's not just about what we do or what we can do in terms of debt relief and aid, it's also about getting their governments/admins/police up to some sort of basic standard. Why is this aspect never discussed ?

dv.
 
Leaving aside the ethics, motivation, futility/value etc etc, the logistics seem a bit challlenging. Do we all roll up in sequence at the visitors pontoon at Chantereyne and pick up passengers as if a taxi rank? Will they find the visitors pontoon? Will they know what a marina is? And does BG think we can get there and back on 3 July? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
risking your ire

the whole thing is a load of bolloc*s and if you are so fluffed up then go down to africa and see just what is wrong .......... not east african holiday resorts but the west from mauritania to namibia ......... if you havnt been there then wtf are you banging on about ?

NOT lack of money or western aid - pure c o r r u p t i o n and i n c o m p e t a n c e from top to bottom.

I have been working in and out of w africa for over 10 yrs - last 3 yrs solid, and its a cesspool of greed and corruption.

geldorf is a prat - ok a well meaning prat but a prize prat

go and do some vso - help the people ........ do some REAL aid not dicking around with geldorf and his misguided gang of hangerson

I know - the truth hurts but face facts not armchair propaganda
 
Re: slagging off Bob

Dear Mr. arf arf,

I've been to West Africa too and had my pockets emptied by customs officials. Not been robbed by the police personally, although friends have. You are right, it is utterly corrupt and the governments steal aid money and materials and rob their own people blind.

SO WHAT?

Because public officials are corrupt we should leave the innocent to starve? Or are you saying every man jack in sub-Saharan Africa is a baddun?

Band Aid and Live Aid raised many millions of pounds and UNDOUBTABLY saved many thousands of people from starvation.

Maybe they all starved to death a couple of years later. Maybe they were killed five years down the line in a civil war. Maybe most of them are dead from HIV/Aids now.

SO WHAT?

Would you take an extra year of life if you had a terminal disease and were offered something as painless and simnple as food as treatment? Or would you say to the doctors / surgeons "No, mate, you're wasting your money - spend it on someone less ill" ? I think not.

People who use political arguments to justify their own lack of compassion are bad enough - but when they then go on to slag off others who are trying to do some good then they make me very annoyed.

Bob Geldof not only initiated and managed a chain of events that raised a huge amount of money and saved many, many lives - he raised awareness and forced governments to look at the problem again. If they haven't managed to tackle the root causes of Africa's problems yet then it isn't Bob's fault.

- Nick
 
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