Fileshare for Africa!
July 5th, 2005I don’t know about you, but I am shocked, utterly shocked, at a totally unforeseen consequence of Live 8, namely that the artists’ record sales have leapt* since Saturday’s concert. I’m sure the performers concerned are equally horrified at this unintended side-effect.
Pink Floyd’s Roger Gilmour laudably says he’ll donate the personal profits he’ll make (other artists yet to follow), but that still leaves the question of the money taken by the shops, distributors, record companies etc. It could all get rather complicated working out who has to give what. Fortunately, I have a solution. A website, say, fileshareforafrica.org would distribute the seed files for pirated donated copies of the respective artists’ albums, in exchange for donations to development & debt relief charities, up until the point that the number of pirated donated albums cancels out the extra ones sold. Problem solved!
Of course, technically this would be encouraging ‘theft’ from millionaire rockstars and billion-dollar record companies to give to the needy but, you know, desperate times, desperate measures. Remember - it’s not about money, it’s about justice.
* The only exception to this rule has been records by the Libertines, which is rather cruel of the British record-buying public, considering how many needy Afghan poppy farmers are dependent on the ongoing success of Pete Doherty.
July 5th, 2005 at 22:17:05
Gilmour also sold a house and gave the profits to Shelter, so at least someone may have some integrity intact after this
cokefestcharitable gig.July 6th, 2005 at 11:46:30
What if we _want_ to continue funding Ferrari designers via Floyd royalties, though?
I’m a very shallow person, I know, but seeing Mason’s Enzo drive past makes more of a positive difference to my day than knowing that $random_dictator can afford an extra Bentley for his motorcade.
July 6th, 2005 at 13:43:50
Okay, let’s rewind a little bit here. How did this casual “any aid or debt relief for anywhere in Africa goes straight into the pockets of tinpot dictators” idea get so fixed in the the popular consciousness? To the extent that you’ll get mocked as naive if you suggest that it might not actually be entirely true?
I know the stereotype of the corrupt African leader with his numerous wives and ostentatious display of expensive, Western goods has been around for decades. But it seems to have suddenly been weaseled into serious political discourse, just within the space the past few months. It strikes me that it’s a truly insidious and unpleasant bit of counter-agenda setting by those opposed to debt relief and trade reform.