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From: JRCooper.PA@XEROX.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: \"USA for Africa\" trash...
Message-ID: <9896@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 11-Apr-85 16:54:03 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.9896
Posted: Thu Apr 11 16:54:03 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Apr-85 03:36:26 EST
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RE:   {USA for Africa recording...} Anyone else disgruntled by this
shit?

Sure, it is objectionable, but I can't think of a better method of
fundraising than to get a bunch of media stars together behind some
cause.   It seems like everyone in the promotion business uses this to
their advantage every day.  This is no different than any other ad
campaign except this time a certain amount of the proceeds is going to a
potentially good cause.  These days Rock/Pop stars carry more weight
(credibility) with more people than anybody I can think of, and they, as
entertainers, perform convincingly.  It would be interesting to find out
if any of those "dedicated" artists also gave cash donations to
supplement the small portion of their time given.  I believe that Time,
or the value of time donated, is not a tax deductible item.  So, if you
consider some other peoples motives for making donations (tax
deductions) a skilled artisan's donations of those skills (and time) is
actually more charitable. 

 To me, it is really amazing how this recording has increased peoples
awareness of the situation, and, at the same time, it is sad that people
in general must be motivated by the actions of significant others before
they do the thing that they should (or might) have done in the first
place.  I am sure that your money would be better spent by sending it or
something of value directly to a charitable agency( of course you might
wan't to check how they intend to utilize your gift) that is not also
trying to cover the "incidental" costs of producing and packaging a
record.  Remember only the *PROCEEDS* will be sent to the Starving ones.

Jim Cooper