What's the big deal about Gore? Remember, Bush brought millions together too--

[Jackpine Radical]

out in the streets of cities across the world, protesting our impending attack on Iraq.

[JNelson6563]

1. Well, here's one point

People tend to be much more likely to turn out or vote on something they are against, less so when it comes to something they're for. President Gore brought 'em together for a positive effort and, I dare say, more of them came out for this than against Bush.

Just my .0125

Julie

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Thank you.

I meant this, in my usual back-handed way, to be a contrast of the two men and what they stand for.

[JNelson6563]

9. Sorry

I didn't catch the back-handedness intended. I have my "simpleton" moments from time to time....:blush:

Seems we have the same view on the contrast of these two men. :toast:

Julie

[tomreedtoon]

2. And after this feel-good fest...nothing.

First of all, Al Gore is not running. Repeat, he has decided not to run. This has been reported many times here on DU, but people are ignoring it. And you have complaints against the Mainstream Media closing their ears to the truth?

Second, this event will be cathartic for all the people who post here. Gee, Melissa Ethridge kicks ass. Makes you feel good, doesn't it? Gives you that kind of Woodstock feeling, right? And what happened after Woodstock? Altamonte, where Mick Jagger sang and people were killed in front of him and he didn't give a damn.

This event will give all of you this nice warm feeling, and when it's over, you'll go back to your lives convinced that you "did something." All you did was watch a telethon. Monday morning most people will forget the whole thing, and go back to their standard polluting ways. Why should they change? They did their part. They watched Melisssa Ethridge kick ass! That's enough sacrifice for anyone!

Yes, this is cynical. Why do you think NBC was happy to air so much of this? Because it's a safety valve. It relieves all those tense feelings that people might have about taking ecological steps, or impeaching Bush, or any of that stuff. It lets you go back to sleep again.

[karlrschneider]

3. Golly, you should bottle that optimism and sell it on freerepublic!

...

[tomreedtoon]

10. Unlike you, I remember "We Are The World."

The big charity event that became a bigger media event...and didn't help starving people, since the government of Ethiopia turned away half of the shipments that made it there. It was so bad that the fiasco was even reprinted in a giant-sized Superman comic, with Kal-El's food shipments he flew in himself, turned away by an anonymous dictator who wanted his people to starve.

I might have been impressed by this dope-free, nudity-free Woodstock if Gore had had the courage to announce his candidacy. Now THAT would have been something to celebrate. But, of course, he's not running and doesn't intend to...

[Spazito]

5. LOL, nice try but it won't work any more

I would suggest you go pee in your own backyard, the rest of us will plant trees.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Three points

1. Al Gore has been careful to speak in the present tense, not the future.

2. It's possible we as a nation have learned something since Woodstock.

3. NBC didn't air shit compared to Bravo. If you care about life as we know it and I believe most people do, you will not go back to sleep again. This concert focused on education as well as entertainment, and trying to reverse that will be as easy as putting tooth paste back in the tube. I also believe Al Gore when he said this was only the starting point.

[sandnsea]

7. There are always people helping

Doing all sorts of things to make this planet a better place. I sometimes think DU is missing the revolution while others are busy putting solar on their roofs and finding local farmers and planting trees in their local parks and open spaces.

Find a cause. Get up. Go to work.

[MrMickeysMom]

8. How do you presume to know what it's like for people watching it?

Unless you're trying to provoke "action" by using some reverse psychology in this post and motivate DU posters, you sound like you could be burnt out on what people with cable TV resort to do after watching a full day of Live Earth.

If I recall correctly, someone said Rush Limpballs predicted Gore would choose Live Earth to announce running for Prez. Now that it didn't happen, but the concert seems successful in terms of positive statements, then I'd say we're starting to hear from the weird little wing nuts who are the first to crawl out from under the rocks. They can't wait to tell us how lame our intensions are as we stroke each other off.

If I've described you, get your depression treated by a professional. The rest of us have something to work off of here.