Is Bono, worth approx. US$200,000,000, slightly hypocritical for asking about poverty on Answers?

Question

It's nothing personal, but is someone worth US$200,000,000 really suitable in the role of "champion" for the poor?

Wouldn't his crusade "ONE" appear more genuine if he himself were'nt obsenely rich?

In my opinion the only people worthy of accolade and praise are those who make meaningful sacrifice and give themselves to causes, like Mother Teresa and Fred Hollows...Put it like this; Bono has amassed a fortune which is equivilent to 3,375 average annual Irish family incomes. Ireland has the highest poverty rates of any European Union country.

He loses me when he preaches, what about you?

P.S. If you're going to have a dig at me, make sure you have a contact link so I can reply!

Answer 1

I see your point and I agree. And also no offense to Bono-I like his music but don't buy it or go to his concerts because I don't NEED to or WANT to. It seems to me that the ones who want to change the world want others to do it for them. They are just the cheerleaders. Rah Rah Rah.
I am not into any particular religion but I think
Jesus had some good ideas when he was around about helping people ,but Christianity has been subverted. So has Islam. Most people think sending a few dollars to Save the Children is going to change things but it is people's hearts and minds that need to change in order to change the world.

Answer 2

No. He is a good person doing what he can. His wealth and fame are tools he uses to open doors and get the world's attention. We listen to him BECAUSE he is rich and famous.

What he is trying to do is raise awareness of the issues and try to get us all to do our part. Millions and millions of people doing some small good adds up to much more than a single rich person can do with wealth. And if we do some small good, and teach our children and they teach theirs the good will grow exponentially. Much more valuable than $200M.

And you know.. there is little sense in just giving away money now. If he just gives it all away he will lose his spotlight on the world stage because he will be poor too. His wealth will not vanish. If he is wise it will grow a great deal during his lifetime. So let him enjoy the weath today, use it to help teach us and the rest of the world, and then maybe when he dies he will distribute the funds to somehow to the help the poor.

I think he is doing great work. We all need to follow his example and use whatever tools we have available to us, however meager, to help others.

Answer 3

not necessarily. his wealth he amassed by his own volition. simply bcuz he is rich you cannot immediately dig at him for trying to be "champion of the poor." take a look around at these other rich celebrities? none of the give a fu*ck about stuff like this. they only care about when the next Sidekick party is happening and what am I going to wear out on the town tonight. I can understand your concern about this but keep in mind his mind and heart are in the right place. if more like him would even give a damn about global crises then maybe someting would be done about it. he's using his celebrity status to make people aware and maybe it's a little sneaky but getting the message out is what's important. I believe he has donated money correct? he's not trying to be another mother teresa or anything like that. he has his passions and wishes to see them through. getting the word out gets people talking, like now. fans of his may hear his message and want to help in some way. I could see if he were being paid or something to do all this then there would be a problem but his act, however small, is noble. more of us should be like that and lend our voice to those who have none

Answer 4

I can see both sides. But who would you listen to about ending poverty, a bum on the street or someone as well known as Bono? Bono could have been just like the rest of us, but he happened to make the right choices to end up where he is now. He wasn't born wealthy. The bum knows how to be poor, but Bono knows how to be rich. You can't fault the guy for that. I'd much rather take lessons from Bono on how to be rich than the bum on how to be poor.

Answer 5

I am the last person on earth to support any entertainer and their causes. But if Bono want to help then kudos to him. He had a meeting with some of the worlds top advisers on how to help more efficiently VS just throwing money out there. I commend him on his work and hope he doesn't get too discourage when he receives no appreciation from those he is trying to help.

Answer 6

The fact he has star power and a solid wealth base gives him the leverage needed to get the word out regarding the issue. How many meetings and organizations has the average starving person attended and created?? People won't just listen to the average person. He has the venues and ability to get the meessage out.

I think it's a noble cause and a good thing to be passionate about.

Answer 7

Yes and no. Yes for the reasons you just pointed out. No because he uses a lot of his money and power for good. He has helped small american towns and 3rd world countries which he most likely wouldn't have done without his net worth.
If I was as rich as him I'd try to help the world too. Until then I'll keep paying my shitty government that doesn't allow me to own my house or car.

Answer 8

i get mixed on things like this.
it does help having someone not suffering from something to advocate for it. in other words: of course pot smokers want pot legalized, they smoke it. of course minorities want equal rights, they don't have them. but it speaks volumes i think when someone just stands up for what is right.
being in such a position being famous and having alot of money also lets a person get in and make contacts and produce change in places that a regular person could not...think you or i could get in to see bush and talk to him about poverty? not a chance, in fact even when out in very large numbers demonstrating its hard to get your collective voice heard.
on the other hand, yeah i do have issues with someone particularly like bill gates, who no doubt gives alot, still having an obscene amount of money, how many people would those digital pictures on the walls that change their image depending on who is in the room feed? a home wired with millions of dollars of equipment for nothing other than its "cool" or "wow" factor while people eat from dumpsters?
while i'm sure many many people well off give donations only for the tax incentives, i do think bono's intentions are good though, and he has definitely done more than many with far more money than he has....and for the record, i can't stand U2 or any of their music.
now you want to talk about what i think is crap about bono and U2, lets talk about them suing the crap out of the band negativeland.

Answer 9

Bono is an idol of this world. He has attention of the world because he's a good singer...unreal.

Because he has marketed himself so well, many people value his opinion.
To much given, much is required, I personally believe he will be made to answer for all his actions, just as all of us will.

Answer 10

Well, I won't harp on you. I just think maybe it's because Bono can bring attention to the cause as oppose to some normal person because he is so well known. Just my thoughts is all.