George Clooney, whoever he is, has arranged a world wide concert called, 'Hope for Haiti,' gathering performers of the 'top rank' to raise money for Haiti relief. George himself has apparently put $1 million into the cause. Now I am all in favour of grabbing what money you can for emergency relief but am I being cynical by believing that there is less concern for the poor than concern to be seen in the right place by many of those involved? Sure Haiti has produced some who have become stars in the US and they are rightly concerned, certainly there are those like Clooney who wish to do something to help the needy, and many Americans have had a holiday there in recent years. However I remain sceptical when a number of 'famous faces' are quick to offer their services at such times.
Since the eighties when Bob Geldorf gave us 'Band Aid' it has become the in thing to gather around and produce a record or concert to provide aid to the poor. Great idea in principle but cynically I wonder if the folks involved do it for the publicity rather than the needy. Now I am sure many are wiling to help those in deep distress, but would I be wrong to suggest that instead of a concert they just put their hand in their pocket? Elton John was at one such gathering raising money for a charity, aids I think, yet he is said to have spent £4 million on flowers! I think I can see a better way than a free concert Elton. It costs the stars little to perform, once, in front of a world wide audience for charity. It costs them much more to sell one of their Ferrari's and give the cash to the campaign.
In the 19th century Prime Minister William Gladstone complained about rich men leaving charity money in their will. "Why did they not spend the cash on 'good works' while alive?" he asked. He was right of course. He himself spent some £85,000, that is many millions in today's currency on charitable works! It is not wrong to have money, and he believed in the aristocrats being at the top, but this also brought responsibility to aid those less fortunate than them, and in his view if you cared about the cause you would spend it while alive, rather than deprive the relatives left behind by your will. In the same way if these 'celebrities' really cared about Haiti, or indeed any other cause, they would already be spending some of their cash in that direction. At the moment it appears the earthquake has brought about a concern for Haiti that did not exist before, and this was one very troubled, poor nation before the earthquake, why did nobody raise money then? The need was just as great. A bandwagon for Haiti has arisen, and just as quickly as it rises it will disappear once more,and soon Haiti, like Darfur, Ethiopia,and a dozen other causes, will be forgotten. The 'stars' will continue to shine in their heaven however.
