U2’s Bono speaks out on debt relief for poor
This is our hope, and our prayer’
Bono, lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, has been an ardent activist for debt relief for poor countries for years. He recently had this to say when addressing a press teleconference on the subject:
"I know Jim [Wolfensohn], president of the World Bank. I know him to be a moral man. But what makes me angry is the numbing bureaucracy you meet with whenever you confront this issue. The World Bank points to the shareholders. The shareholders point to the public. And no one seems to be driving the train. The train is just rolling down the tracks.
"If you as an individual go into debt, you will be declared bankrupt at a certain point. The banker takes the hit because he made a mistake in lending you the money. That’s just good banking. It’s extraordinary that we don’t apply the same logic to countries.
"If we could only get some poetry through to the numbers men, this U.S. administration could do something really extraordinary. It would give back Americans faith in the idea of America. It’s what this country is supposed to be all about. This is our hope, and our prayer."
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content