Sure, M.I.A. disapproves of President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, Asher Roth chimed in for some reason, and John Fogerty is just tickled pink over it, but there hasn’t been much talk from musicians about the media’s recent favorite go-to topic of the week (sans a smattering of 140-character tweets). Enter Bono.
In this week’s NY Times op-ed, the U2 singer seeks to draw a connection between the “fantasy” Obama and the “real” Obama, who, according to “some quarters of these not-so-United States,” is unworthy of such a preemptive award. The connection, Bono claims, lies in Obama’s statement to the United Nations that “we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.”
This commitment is why Bono believes Obama “could well be a force for peace and prosperity — if the words signal action,” Bono says, later adding “The Nobel Peace Prize is the rest of the world saying, ‘Don’t blow it.’” Bono goes on to cite America’s recent climb on the “most admired country in the world” list from number seven to number one, as an example of the peaceful sea change afoot. A few interesting points from the Pope’s new buddy, as usual, but then it’s time for the obligatory Bono pull quote:
Americans are like singers — we just a little bit, kind of like to be loved. The British want to be admired; the Russians, feared; the French, envied. (The Irish, we just want to be listened to.)
Yeah yeah, Bono, we’re listening. And they can see your stage “claw” from space. Check out “Rebranding America” thataway.