He's still pretentious

In a previous post to this blog, I poked some mild fun at the singer Bono, gently chiding him for his attempts to coerce the American federal government to raise taxes and donate the money for aid to Africa's poorest regions. I pointed out in that rant that while I applauded his efforts to alleviate suffering, I also believed (and still do) that he could accomplish much more by appealing directly to the American people, the most generous in the world.

Part of the reason for my sarcastic tone in the previous rant, is I've seen celebrities turn their star power to charitable works for decades, with little or no lasting effects. And they soon lose interests once the cameras are turned off. Bob Geldof and Live Aid back in 1985 leap to mind, as does Sean Penn taking a personal photographer with him to New Orleans to document his goodness for posterity. Count me firmly in the 'teach the poor to fish so they may eat for life' camp. Buying tons of food and turning it over to dictators to use as a political tool, to me, is nothing but a waste of time, resources and hope.

This year, Time magazine named Bono one of three "Persons of the Year" (more on that in just a bit). Reluctantly I read the article, assuming it would be nothing more than a fluff piece dedicated to what a magnificent, bleeding heart he has. And while it was, there was also more. Bono and his lobbying group DATA have done much more than let their liberal hearts bleed before press conferences. They are getting results.

"'You know what my least favorite John Lennon song is?' he says. 'Imagine'. At the root of it is some rigorous thinking about the way things could be, but people have stolen the idea and made it an anthem for wishful thinking. I'm against wishful thinking. I hate it.'"

Besides arm-twisting politicians and philanthropic institutions, they also are searching for real solutions to real problems, and demanding real results. They are involved with medical and health researchers, they work with economic development experts, they are actually accomplishing more than polishing their own liberal credentials. For that, I not only apologize for my previous post making light of his work, I also offer a hardy congratulations, and wish him the best in his efforts.

Time also named two other 'Persons of the Year.' Bill and Melinda Gates. I've had a rough appraisal in the past of Bill Gates. I entered the computer industry at about the same time he was taking it apart, rearranging it to suit his own wallet. I saw the devastation, the good solid computer companies go under, one by one, at his call. On top of that, I've suffered greatly, as most computer users have, under the curse of Microsoft's Windows operating system. Does anyone remember Windows 95? How about Windows 98? I still shudder when I think of those products.

But if Time magazine is to be believed (and that's a big 'if' considering it's part of the mainstream media) Bill and Melinda Gates deserve a hardy congratulations for the efforts to help the poorest of the poor in this world. When I reached the line about how donations from their foundation for vaccinations have saved more than 700,000 lives, I was sold. That's concrete action. Those are results.

Interviews with employees of his foundation speak of it more as a business than a charitable foundation. They routinely visit the very poor, to learn first hand of the situation. They ask tough questions and expect honest answers. Money from their foundation is not given away, it's invested, and if the return on investment isn't sufficient, they pull the plug. One person interviewed said that the foundation has terminated several grants because of poor performance and the recipients were stunned. They'd never been required to actually produce in the past. You have to love that!

Bill and Melinda Gates, through their foundation, have been working extensively with Bono and his people to fund, invest, develop and produce real results that benefit the poor around the world. If this business model for charitable foundations works out, I may have to rethink my charitable donations.

To all three, Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates, I applaud. Humanity is better for their work. Thank you!