It was the prominently-placed "George Clooney on Keeping America
Free" on the masthead of a glossy magazine that arrived in my
mailbox recently which drove me to sigh and promptly insert said
glossy into the wastebasket. For Keeping America Free is not a
subject that I have any interest in hearing from George Clooney
about.
But it is refreshing to come across a celebrity who uses his
position responsibly and takes the time to study and think about
issues that matter. Someone who uses his immense platform not to
throw random, knee-jerk barbs and insults at world leaders and
institutions or to demand policies that are completely untenable
(sometimes outright asinine).
We have a modern example of this sort in Bono, who, aside from
his duties as front man for the Irish supergroup U2, has campaigned
in a thoughtful and tireless way to focus the world's attention and
resources on seeking real, workable solutions to the increasingly
desperate situation in Africa. He's spent an enormous amount of
time there -- sans cameras and entourage -- started his own
DC-based think tank, and traveled the globe to meet and talk with
world leaders of all political stripes without prejudice. And as a
result, they're listening. President Bush yesterday spent nearly
two hours with him in private conversation over lunch at the White
House, as a follow-up to meetings between Bush, Bono, and British
PM Tony Blair during this summer's G-8 meeting in Scotland. The
relationship that Bono forged with retired Senator Jesse Helms
resulted in real progress (and, as the Senator writes in his newly
released memoir, a friendship that endures to this day).
I do not agree Bono's agenda in its entirety…that is not
the point of this post. But you must admire him for the dignified
manner in which he is pursuing that agenda and for investing real
time, energy, resources and most importantly, thought into it. He's
made himself into a credible authority on the subject, changed some
important hearts and minds, and the poorest of the poor are
benefiting.
Last evening U2 took to the stage before a sold-out crowd at
Washington DC's MCI Center. The crowd didn't hear comparisons of
Republicans to Nazis, nor songs about "American Idiots" coming from
the stage….these guys know better -- and are better -- than
that.
topics:
NATO, Africa, Energy
