GADDAFI MORE SENSIBLE THAN GELDOF AND FRIENDS

Mark Steyn on the Live 8 performers, who want to give our taxes to African despots:

Once upon a time, rock stars weren't rated by Moody, they were moody - they self-destructed, they choked to death in their own vomit, they hoped to die before they got old. Instead, judging from Sir Pete Townshend on Saturday, they got older than anyone's ever been. Today, Paul McCartney is a businessman: he owns the publishing rights to Annie and Guys & Dolls. These faux revolutionaries are capitalists red in tooth and claw.

The system that enriched them could enrich Africa. But capitalism's the one cause the poseurs never speak up for. The rockers demand we give our fokkin' money to African dictators to manage, while they give their fokkin' money to Winthrop Stimson Putnam & Roberts to manage. Which of those models makes more sense?

Read the whole thing, it's well worth it, as always.

Africa's leaders, hoping to see a Live 8 windfall come their way, have jumped on the bandwagon:

Leaders at the African Union summit in Libya are preparing to release a final declaration expected to appeal for the continent's debts to be wiped out.

They are also likely to call for fairer terms of trade with the West, while stressing their desire for better governance and transparency.

The meeting ends a day before the G8 summit of the world's richest nations.

On Monday, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi told other African leaders to "stop begging" for Western charity.

But the final declaration is likely to urge the G8 to end all $350bn of African debt, not just the $40bn planned.

What does it say about Africa's leadership that Gaddafi is the most sensible leader at the African Union summit?