Live 8: Tour de Force or Farce?

Many thought that singer Bob Geldof's time had come and gone. But this weekend, 20 years after Live Aid, it was back again as billions tuned into a string of concerts, described as "The Long Walk to Justice," being held in ten cities on four continents. The big bands were back singing for Africa, but this time as part of a larger campaign demanding a real change in the world. There were other players, but the pop concerts, attended by over a million and a half, drew far more attention than the political activists did.

NGOs and lobbyists advocating for fairer trade, debt reduction and more aid have come up with policy proposals that already have been embraced by some G-8 governments. Using celebrities, media campaigns, and protests called "Make Poverty History," they mobilized hundreds of thousands to take to the streets as they did in Edinburgh, Scotland on Saturday.

Elderly church people, swarms of students, and young activists descended upon Edinburgh eager to send a message to the world leaders arriving at Gleneagles for next week's G-8 Summit. Some in the anarchist "black block," wrapped in bandanas and chanting revolutionary slogans, were blocked by cops from joining the march. Most poured into the streets peacefully with signs and good cheer. There was even a battalion of costumed characters in camouflage get-up organized as the "Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army."

The demonstration paraded around town in waves for hours, 18 people across. It went through blocked-off main streets and then back to a meadow where activists set up tents to talk politics and play political songs. I heard Billy Bragg and saw Bianca Jagger. I chatted with economist-writer Noreena Hertz about how great it is that people are finally marching for global economic justice, and not just against the policies they hate. There was a sense of heady optimism in the air, as in, "We are putting the issues of the poor on the public agenda and forcing powerful governments from the rich world to respond."

And on the television, the WHO punctuated the point by declaring "we won't be fooled again." Throughout the world, artists endorsed calls for action on the issue. Speaking to a concert in Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela said it would be a crime against humanity if governments ignored the demands of the public. "Do not look the other way," he demanded. "We want action."

His was the only real political statement I heard in two hours of primetime programming that kept calling it "the day that changed the world." Live 8's presenters were more into engaging in sappy rock star adoration than exploring the larger mission of the show. A presenter asked George Michael if he was going to tour again. Artists and TV presenters kept saying "what a great day" it was. A Christ-like Bono proclaimed they were there not for charity but for "justice" -- but little detail was offered about what that means.

At the same time, the visibility that TV stations like MTV gave the issue inspired 26 million people to access the Live 8 website and add their names to a list of supporters. How many of those supporters will become activists remains to be seen. Will they heed Geldof's call to "converge" on the G-8, or just go home agreeing with his post-show pronouncement of "job done?"

As far as I can tell, plans for a million to march on the summit are not as detailed as those that made the concerts so successful. Rock stars organize events, not revolutions.

The more relevant question is: Have the rock stars been seduced by Tony Blair, who is desperate to recast an image battered by his association with Bush and the bloodshed in Basra? Have they been deceived by politicians used to making pledges that they don't honor while thinking they have persuaded the politicians to new levels of caring and commitment? Geldof was part of an Africa commission chaired by Blair which calls for change, but in a free market, pro-private sector direction.