[Acrylic-bob]

Please do not misunderstand, as I have said before in different threads, the problems of Africa and the poor of the world are the responsibility of the whole world. However I do not believe that debt relief and increased aid are the answer.

Why are we not united in our criticism of current government mis-spending? Why are we not writing to Cormack Murphy O'Connor demanding that instead of his mimsy support of a ridiculous march he actually does something to try and fill the shoes of his predecessor and tackle the Pope on the issue of Condoms and AIDS? Why are we allowing people like Mugabe of Zimbabwe to get away with impoverishing, starving and oppressing his own people?

And while we are at it, do you really think a couple of choruses of "all you need is love" is going to do anything to influence the muslim government of the Sudan and persuade them that genocide is actually a bad idea?

But no, what we have here is the usual socialist response to any problem - throw money at it. We won't concern ourselves with where the money goes or what it is spent on, just so long as it is an amount so obscenley large that it assuages our guilt for a while until the next crisis, or until Saint Geldoff and his chums need their next five minutes in the global limelight.

The real problems are Bad Governance, Corruption, UN-fair trade and a vast population which, in many sections, is only a couple of generations removed from the stone age.

Yesterday was just another excuse to demonstrate the national propensity for wallowing in mawkish sentimentality. We saw it when Diana died, when the Soham girls were murdered, when Ken Bigley was murdered, during the Tsunami Appeal, etc. etc. ad infinitum, ad bl**dy nauseam. The G8 Conference comunique, which was written last week, will have some very soothing words to say about the condition of the poor and that will be it. The sense of national guilt will be stroked into quiescence and put back in its box till next time.

However, it was nice to see Pink Floyd playing together again, so perhaps the day was not a complete non-event.