Hi all,
The whole point of Live 8 was not about raising money. It was about raising awareness. Given that I think it was a huge success.

I am no fan of Sir Bob Geldof but you have to hand it to him, I can't really think of anyone else that could have pulled this off.

I understand that it is frustrating that aid does not get through to the people who need it because of corruption and mismanagement BUT all that aside the fact remains that children are going to bed tonight hungry because they have not eaten for days. A significant majority of them will not be getting up in the morning.

People are dying at the rate of fifty thousand a day and the fact that they live in Africa should not make a jot of difference. As human beings they are our brothers and sisters and we have a moral obligation to help them. If it was happening in the state or county next to where you live (just imagine 50,000 a day) would you stand by and watch? I think the vast majority of you would be raiding your kitchen for food and cupboards for blankets.

OK so it might not be as easy as that BUT just because it is harder only means we have to try harder to help.

We are the lucky ones. By virtue of posting on this forum means we live in absolute luxury compared to those who Live 8 is concerned about. It is so easy for us to sit back and berate the governments and officials who allow this to happen to their people. We have the good fortune to live in a democracy and can change things we are unhappy about, most of the people in Africa don't even have that right.

These people are not concerned with who gave what and who skimmed the cream off the top. They just want to eat and to feed their children.

How DARE we give with conditions attached? To my mind saying that I won't give because nothing changed since last time I gave is tantamount to taking the food out of the mouths of the most needy. It would make me as bad as the crooked officials who live off the misery of others.

I have been offline for few weeks due to a problem with my telephone line. I was incensed that the phone company took so long to sort out my problem..... On Saturday, watching the concert I was ASHAMED that I allowed my self to imagine that my silly problem was so huge. I am willing to bet that the people who won't eat tonight would give anything to trade places with me.

This is not about resenting how other countries view you as a nation and I find it sad that you seem to offer this up as justification for not doing more. (Sorry but weigh your national pride against the grief of a mother whose child dies for want of a bowl of rice and a cup of water and the two don't equate as far as I'm concerned).

None of us should measure what we do to help against what another does. If more people concentrated on what they could do at a personal level then maybe less people would die. If all this awareness leads to even ten less people dying each day then we have made a start.

I am sorry if I have offended anyone by my comments but at the end of the day people are dying. I feel so strongly that they deserve help and even more strongly that we can have no justification for not giving that help.
Best wishes
Tony