'Red'

Whilst waiting for my friend to present our research findings, I found a photocopied piece of writing titled ‘Red ’. First, I thought it was another one of those inquiry triggers that I got used to after a year of inquiry. I was wrong and simply because I am not caught up with the latest celebrity trends, fashions and PR stunts. It took me 2 minutes to read it but 5 second to realise the hidden message behind this campaign.

‘Red’ is a business idea that involves labelling different items as ‘Red’. So we have a Red iPod, a Red MasterCard…etc. The process is simple, you buy a ‘Red’ and some of the profit made off the product is used to buy drugs for the epidemic Africa. What a genius idea, my friend commented, after learning how poverty will be solved through Red. I don’t blame her as the whole Western society feels abit guilty for not helping the needy in other parts of the world. We are hearing about those celebrity pilgrimages, volunteering students and missionaries all seeking to help Africa. I may be generalising here but I am still to meet more than a handful of people who truly care about others, people who truly feel for suffering millions and willing to take action and make a difference. So ‘Red’ is giving us the shortcut to solving the problem. Just choose the Red products and Bingo, there will be no more haunting footages of poverty, genocide or disease on CNN. How lovely!! Only if we were not living on earth and were not called humans, such an idea would work.

The argument is that you are buying the products, for the same price but it is only called ‘Red ’. Unless you have some kind of a phobia for the colour itself, then everyone should contribute towards those Red items. I am for the idea if it would actually work, excuse the cynicism but how would it work if the people claim that Red is a business idea that is looking to make money off Red products. Yes, some of the money will find its way to some drug company that will donate some expired drugs to those in need. Who will receive the money, who will buy the drugs, who will administer the drugs, who will identify what drugs are needed, how viable are the drugs, how will the drugs reach those in real need, what proportion of the money will be used to buy the drugs? These are all negative questions and full of scepticism but I simply can not trust Bono & co. who are trying to make some money off the suffering masses in that black continent.

I am for helping Africans, educating them, Doctors without borders and everyone who is truly willing to take action. I am totally against and truly despise a bunch of wealthy, immoral, and shrewd businessmen who are trying to make a few extra millions off such a sensitive subject. People who claim to be merciful, self-conscious and kind but are as ruthless and cruel as you can possibly imagine.

I hate being morally abused and bribed and especially by someone who pretends to be a saint. A saint as holy and as merciful as the greatest saints of them all, St. Saddam Hussein.