Live 8

Today the massive, world spanding Live 8 concerts targeting poverty in Africa, kick off. While billed as something of sequel to the Live Aid concert of the 1980's, it has a very different tactic. Rather than raise money for direct aid these concerts are all about putting pressure on rich countries, the G8, to spend more on debt relief and aid. The calculation is very simple. Government just have so much resources that any private effort can hope to match. Move the governments, move real money.