Now Universal Records are helping out Japan, a compiliation benefit album featuring usual suspect U2 and newbie Rihanna… as well as some other what is sure to be big names.
After Bangladesh, after Live Aid, after Haiti (but not after Farm Aid which appears to work), perhaps it is time to simply fess up. The US Entertainment industry is clueless when it comes to providing charity relief in foreign countries.
Everybody gives their time and energy with no end game in sight, with no concept, as to how theses hundreds of millions of dollars will effect the victims on the ground. If they will ever even see it.
During the Katrina disaster everybody from Ireland to Iran provide aid, though it might really habe been essentially symbolic. Japan? According to Wikipedia: "The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that it would provide $200,000 in cash to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. Japan also identified needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and provided up to $800,000 in emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and power generators if they receive requests from the U.S. for such assistance. Private and corporate donations totaled over $13M .One Japanese individual, Takashi Endo, donated USD $1 million from his personal funds to Katrina relief efforts.
Which kinda makes sense and is what the US should do for Japan: a careful, intelligent, targeted aid.
Not this huge behemoth of begging.