The Return of the White Flag?

Paul Andersen ([email protected])
Thu, 3 Dec 1998 08:27:24 -0700

Perusing through a number of recent articles on U2 and looking at their
involvement in side projects since the beginning of the year, I can't help
but feel that the band may be entering an era in which they become more
active in certain political causes. (This is not to imply that they ever
stopped caring, just that now they appear to be stepping back into a
leadership role).

Consider:

1. The Northern Ireland Peace Process: the band helps bring Trimbl;e and
Hume together on stage publicly for the first time in history. They
perform a rousing set in Belfast in advance of the historic vote to ratify
the peace process. More recently, they become intimately invloved in
assiting victime of the Omagh bomobings, performing live on the Late Late
Show and contributing to a benefit album.

2. Human Rights: the band steps up its involvement with Amnesty
International in its campaign to collect millions of signatures supporting
the UN's Human Rights Charter on its anniversary, beginning in Vancouver
where the AI logo was prominently displayed on the screen during the
concert to Bono and Edge's appearance at an AI Ireland press conference.
Bono contributes to a benefit album in support of the Motehrs of the
Disappeared in Argentina. And the band the concert venue to promote human
rights in Chile leading to...

3. Santiago: Bono urges the people of santiago to "light a candle for the
Mothers...las Madres" and asks General Pinochet "to please tell these
mothers, where are their children" -- all on national television in prime
time in Chile. In perhaps a large moment of extreme hyperbole, Bono
would later claim they incited thousands of people to march through the
streets of Santiago to the Parliament demanding justice.

4. Sarajevo: perhaps the single event that refocused the band on politics?
The reemergenceof Sunday Bloody Sunday for the first time since the 80's.

Take these various events and couple it with Adam's recent comments in Hot
Press:

"It's really hard to predict but, in some ways, the songwriting will be
more direct. Em, I think Pop was the last record in the journey of the '90s
which started with Achtung Baby. I think this new one will be going back to
some of the directness and some of the universality of the 80s work. I
think we'll be returning to that but without the naivet�."

A more overtly political U2? The return of the white flag? Or a more
mature and sober assessement of the world and their role in it? You be the
judge. Comments and criticisms are encouraged.

Paul
"El Pueblo Vencera"

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