CONSUME ( RED ) or CONSUMERED?

Please bear with me as I freak out for a few paragraphs.

I don't know how much you've heard of Project Red, but here is a portion of its manifesto: Project Red is not a charity, it is simply a business model. You buy Project Red stuff. (Motorola, AmEx, Gap, Armani, Converse, Apple) Project Red gets the money. It then buys the pills and distributes them. Sick people in Africa take the pills, stay alive. And continue to take care of their families and contribute socially and economically in their communities.

Sounds great eh? People with HIV in Africa getting badly needed medicine in order to beat their illness, and all because we purchased a “RED” item. Wow! Now you can buy a cell phone and do something great for someone else in need! (Please note the sarcasm). Ever since Bono showed up on Oprah to advertise for his new campaign “Project Red”, my guts have been reeling in disdain for one of my favourite rockers and philanthropists. After viewing the show I headed out to my local GAP to check out the merchandise. All of the merchandise was over-priced and only a portion of all products sold go towards the RED campaign. In other words, they jacked their prices in order to not incur any financial loss. B.S.

Also, the campaign directly ignores the real problem which is our greed, narcissism, and over-consumption. It's a shame that people believe that they are what they buy. I am not necessarily rich because I purchase an Armani t-shirt, and I am not necessarily caring because I purchased a t-shirt where some proceeds go to “a cause”.

Four years ago I decided to cancel my cell phone and become a World Vision sponsor because I couldn't justify my spending. Now people don't have to justify it. They can get a RED Motorola phone and feel good about their purchase.

My point is that people can do more than the status quo. Instead of purchasing a $40 RED t-shirt at GAP (where a couple dollars go to charity), why can't we just expect people to give an entire $40 to charity? I expect more from our world and I believe (perhaps conveniently) that God expects more from our world. Shame on you Bono, I know you know better. Don't think that your so intelligent because you found a way to “trick” our consumer society into being charitable. All you've really done is reinforce their sickness of consumerism.

For more info about this farce of a “good cause” visit either of these websites:

http://www.joinred.com/home.asp

http://joinred.blogspot.com/