Live 8 tickets on eBay - Fair or Foul?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Live 8 tickets are being offered on eBay for sums around the �1000 mark. It's not illegal to sell them but does that make it okay?

[camille79]

Spot on bernardo!  There seems to be this hysteria that the selling of the tickets (which although deemed free were actually "bought" for a minimum of �1.50 plus call charge) is wrong and immoral but noone can give a good reason why!  If anything, it benefits Live8 by providing yet another news-worthy story, thus contributing to the awareness raising element of the event.

[the.dr]

i love ebay its life....but look if you win the tickects its your right to sell them...remember each text sent to win the tickects was 1.50 so a donation has been made and also i dont see the people who are bidding for them donating that kind of money every month

[Oneeyedvic]

Waldo - Elton John & U2 are both appearing in this concert to make poverty history. It is not in my power or financial resources to really make a difference

- lets put this into perspective -

Average salary is around �25,000 per year - lets say �1700 per month take home. After expenditure of food, clothing mortgage, electricity, transport etc, the average person probably has (for sake of argument) �500.00 per month to spend on luxuries (as opposed to essentials).

*I would like to point out at this point that I don't have anywhere near this amount - but hey ho.*

So the average person - if they forgoed all luxuries - could donate �6000 a year.

Being realistic - allowing people to carry on going down the pub occasionally, going on holiday once a year etc, if someone gave �1000 a year it would be deemed very generous (imho)

You would therefore need 42,500 people to do forgoe their luxuries for a year to get to the same figure as I mentioned above. That is half the population of the town I live in (Great Yarmouth)!


The reason that people are having a go at people selling on ebay is because they feel it is immoral.

Personally, I think it is immoral to go on a stage (when you have more money than you could possibly need) and tell people to give to charity.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I think Geldof really does have a problem.; the message is not getting through - it's not about getting donations, it's about raising awareness. Check http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/

[Oneeyedvic]

"its not about donations"....

....okay - basic accounting:

we wipe out all third world debts, we stop giving farmers subsidies and we give more aid.....that is there 3 point manifesto......

 

So where does this moeny come from to do this.....either donations or tax increases.....either way it is the ordinary person who suffers.......

 

...lets put on a concert with people who make millions of pounds each year and feel better about it......

[jaxsy]

what ****** me off is King Geldorf telling ebay they could shove their donation "up their arses". that is completely nuts -- how dare he refuse a donation and call their's "blood money". he has really lost it. ALL CREDIBILITY THAT IS!!

and why is he playing on the day if not to further his own (dead) career?!

ebay were offering to pass on a substantial sum from these sales and bob through it back in their faces. how much good is that doing the dying masses?!!

[WaldoMcFroog]

Vic, your point regarding where increased aid will come from is fair to a point. However, the point that you seem to be missing - forgive me if this is not the case - is that there needs to be a political solution to this problem - if it were a simple case of getting all the performers to donate from their vast incomes, that would be fine, but those sums would be a) pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things b) ineffective at changing the trade inequalities which have created much of the poverty in the first place.

It seems to me that that the fact that it has been recognised that throwing money at the problem - a la Live Aid - is simply not a long term solution. If we don't want to be in a situation where we're constantly having to stage reactive concerts to address the symptoms of a more serious underlying condition, then political change is the only way that can be done.

Regardless of your personal dislike of pop stars dictating to those less well off than themselves, it's difficult to deny that the issue of addressing global poverty is recieving more attention than it has for years. Whether it is enough remains to be seen, but it has to be better than sitting at home wringing your hands but doing nothing.

[Oneeyedvic]

I would agree Wlado.....

but then it comes to a new point.......

1) Should all 3rd world debt be written off.....or should just the 'democracys' we agree with be allowed?

2) Is regime change in the name of either democracy or saving the people allowable?

3) If we write off the debt to certain countries, will any of it ever get back to the population or will it be misappropriated?

Whilst I agree that there are some major political issues, I don't think that the pop stars singing about it, or marching in Scotland will actually make any difference at all......(and incidentally - I assume there will need to be extra police - are the pop stars paying for that or will it be down to upping the council tax???)

....but then maybe I am just too cynical

[neill]

 "SIR" Bob Geldof charged people �1.50 to send a text which would merely entitle them to a "chance"of getting a ticket to LIVE 8.Much the same as the National Lottery,true? Therefore once you have "WON" your LIVE 8 ticket,ot is just that,YOURS. You can,use it & go to the concert,you can donate it to a friend or charity,you can even,(SHOCK HORROR), sell it. Who the hell does "SIR,SAINT,GIVE US YER FCUKING MONEY,I`M ALWAYS RIGHT Geldof think he is?? If i`d been fortunate enough to "win" a ticket to LIVE 8 & someone had offered me �1000 for it,i`d take the money & watch it on television. Unlike Mr Geldof,i have a mortgage to pay,�1000 is too much to turn down. You may be appalled & disgusted by my views,i`m sorry if you are,but then again maybe you have been suckered in by all the righteous hype. Wiping out the 3rd world debt will not help one single family or child in Africa. It will though allow the SCUM GOVERNMENT to STEAL more money for themselves. THEIR government is to blame for this situation,NOT ours or anyone elses. So kindly STOP your high & mighty,self righteous attitude Mr Geldof. If you want to truly change the situation then start by shaming the POWER HOLDERS in Africa. LIVE 8 will not change one single thing for those poor,starving people,not one thing.

[the.dr]

im pi$$ed off that a fuss is being caused, mine was pulled of ebay!!! lol

[Compostella]

Simple economics,

When demand outstrips supply, the price goes up.

Geldof knew what he was doing when he started this seedy little concert with its hidden agendas.  Is Geldof doing this purely for the reasons he says he is?

If so, then he should empty his own bank accounts and pay for a ticket like the rest of us

[Adam 1987]

I agree with some people when they say it is wrong but then again I think yeah ok there making money wen they sell tickets but some people really want to go... I've got to tickets for the edinbrugh gig and i will try and sell them, and will I give the money to charity?.... no I dnt think I will, but does that make me cruel... or just sensible, they cost me �1.62 for the txt!

[Robin9876]

I have 2 live 8 tickets, due to circumstances I am unable to go to the concert in Hide Park. So I have decided to sell them for charity. I cant see any reason why charity should not benefit from this.

Robin

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