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Anorak News | White Man’s Burden

White Man’s Burden

by | 28th, January 2005

”’IS the world safer now?” asks the Independent’s front page headline.

Bono introduces U2’s new lead guitarist

The question might just as easily be posed in light of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the German death camp at Auschwitz as it is of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

In simple terms, the answer must be ”yes”. There is no despotic lunatic stirring up trouble for a region and we will not all be annihilated in 45 minutes by weapons of mass destruction.

Of course, our relief and vision of global harmony must be tempered with the Indy’s newsworthy reminders that no WMDs have been found in Iraq – but the invasion has ”spurred Iran to develop its own nuclear bomb”.

What’s more, Iraq is a now a ”hotbed of terrorism”, the US and her allies are ”targets of hatred” in the Islamic world and Osama bin Laden remains at large with his al-Qaeda operation still active.

So now, when prompted to answer the paper’s opening question again, the answer is a little less assured. Yes, the world is a safer place, but for whom?

While the armed battles rage, the Guardian recalls that other fight so favoured by Tony Blair, the one he jetted around the planet preaching about after the Twin Towers were destroyed – his mission to save Africa and create a fairer world for all.

And to make that dream a step closer to becoming many other people’s dream too, the paper sees Tony fly off to the World Economic Forum in Davos, the exclusive Swiss ski resort so ideally suited to hosting talks on world poverty and hunger.

”If what was happening in Africa today was happening in any other part of the world,” said Tony to 2,500 political and business leaders from around the world – and Richard Gere, Angelina Jolie and Sharon Stone – ”there would be such a scandal and clamour that governments would be falling over themselves to act in response.”

But they are not, which means it’s left to Tony to tell everyone else that he feels the pain of a continent and will set about abolishing those troubles.

And he will not be entirely on his own, because, as the Telegraph shows in a picture that will surely be stuck with great pride in Tony’s scrapbook, U2 front-man Bono will be ever by his side.

The singer urged the world to take a ”quantum leap” in fighting poverty in Africa. And Tony heard the word and the word was good.

So Britain will now be contributing another £45m to a £300m appeal to supply the deprived and destitute with mosquito nets.

They may not be a cure-all, but these nets will at least allow Tony – and a few Africans – to rest that little bit easier in their beds tonight…’



Posted: 28th, January 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink