Live8 Is Not Enough

Forgive Third World debt, yes, but don't forget other reasons for poverty.

by Charles Bischof

Forgive Third World Debt. It's quite a slogan. It's short and simple. There's no confusing what Sir Bob Geldof is trying to say. Poor countries owe a lot of money to rich countries. And rich countries should forgive the debt because they can. Living standards in poor countries will improve while the living standards in rich countries will stay at their present levels.

So, join the winning team and be a part of history as Philadelphia and six other cities around the globe make the achievements of the original Live Aid concert in 1985 seem quaint by comparison.

According to Live8Live.com, "By doubling aid, fully cancelling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa, the G8 could change the future for millions of men, women and children." But if we throw enough money at the poor nations of the world, is that really going to solve the problem? Sir Bob tried that in 1985, with mixed results at best.

According to Daniel Wolf, writing in The Spectator (U.K.), after Live Aid, Ethiopian dictator Colonel Haile Mariam Mengistu was "bombing crops and markets while setting up roadblocks to prevent the movement of food. ... As the governments would only deal with a recipient government, not with rebel movements, most of the aid . . . was channeled through Mengistu's hands."

In short, at least in Ethiopia, it didn't work.

Sir Bob is certainly not responsible for funding an evil dictator. His Live Aid organization succeeded in supplying thousands of tons of foodstuffs to countries that actually got it into the hands of needy people. Tools, farming equipment, trucks, and fuel sent by the Live Aid charity were no doubt put to good use.

Sir Bob is a very kind, generous and benevolent man. However, he is responsible, in my opinion, for oversimplifying a very complicated problem. The 1985 concerts should have been the catalyst for the Western world to begin thinking about helping the Third World. But they weren't.

This time around, Sir Bob isn't asking for your money. It didn't work last time and you don't have enough, anyway. He wants your voice, your presence or your vote. He wants you to pressure your government to give their money instead. The G8 countries' governments have more money than all of us could possibly collect. Let's just throw more money at the problem, and this time it's got to work!

The problem is that in order to get your message across, a concise sound bite is needed. So, back to "Forgive Third World Debt." It looks great on a T-shirt, but also manages to avoid all the complicated world politics and economics that conspire to reveal the impracticality of the idea. It's not just governments that are going to forgive the debt. Private banks are being told they should write off the debt of small African countries that are ruled by ruthless dictators. These banks didn't commit any atrocities, yet the rulers of poor countries who, through mismanagement or corruption, have bankrupted their nations are going to receive a free ride.

We need a solution that will correct the problem of poverty in poor countries for the long term. I don't pretend to know the methods needed to help the poor people of Third World countries. I'm simply not convinced that forgiving their debt is even the first step toward ending poverty.

I'm thinking of selling some T-shirts of my own at the Philadelphia Live8 concert. Instead of saying "Forgive Third World Debt," they're going to say "Be Informed About Current Events, Read as Much as You Can About Foreign Affairs, Base Your Opinions on Solid Practical Solutions, Demand Openness From Your Leaders About Their Intentions Toward Poor Countries, and Don't Stop Searching for a Solution to this Problem Even After This T-shirt is Tattered and Frayed." (They'll only be available in XXXXXL.) My slogan may not be as simple and straightforward as "Forgive Third World Debt," but then neither is the problem of poverty in Third World countries.

Charles Bischof is a waiter in Philadelphia. If you would like to respond to this Slant or submit one of your own (750 words), contact Duane Swierczynski, editor in chief, City Paper, 123 Chestnut St., third floor, Phila., PA 19106 or e-mail Duane Swierczynski.