Put on your head, wear your eyes.

[the_bono]

We finished recording the new album a few weeks ago. In just a little while now you'll see it on shelves, but we still have some fine tuning to do before we release it to the general public. This new album, it has something of a new sound; I've described it as our "first rock album." Now we've been classified as rock in the past by some of our

Comments

[file_under]

frankly, i'm very surprised to see you elevate ronald reagan to such a level. he buried my country in debt, cut off essential social services and ensured that the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

yes, he did accomplish some good, but he is no role model to me. "bad day" was originally written about him.

political rant aside, i'm very excited to hear your new record. i'm actually kind of glad mine comes out first, so we don't get buried in the shuffle ;)

[the_bono]

I expected that from someone, I'm glad it's you. Yes, Reagan was no superhero, we all have faults. But I think his character and what he did to try to ensure peace and stability (in his mind) say many things about him also. I could point to many things I don't like about Reagan and parallels to US leaders (should I be broader and less suspect and say world leaders?) since, but if you hold up the cards and look at all of them, there seems to be this progression of getting worse and worse and worse. I feel bad saying oh, this dead person is only a good person because he's better than the current dumbarse in office, but I could have added that somewhere.

I understand why he's no role model to you and I respect that. It's really extremely difficult to pick a politician as a role model, isn't it? I never want my kids to have any politicians as role models.

You get buried by us? Like that would happen. ;)

[the_bono]

I'm a man of surprises every once in awhile. I have used the song to insult, at particular points in time, Reagan, Bush the second and first, the NRA, John Ashcroft, et al. Of all these men, that list here; Reagan was the man who tried the hardest. It doesn't correct his faults, no

[the_bono]

Until I have time to respond, please refer to the above comments. Peace.

[asia_argento]

Well, Bono, I'm afraid you've got another heckler bellying up to the peanut gallery. I will say that I've always believed you to be fairly sincere in your political activism, if a tad more glib and self-serving about it than a millionaire several times over has any right to be. I've especially admired your stances on:

• world hunger (taking to heart Reagan's quote, "A hungry child knows no politics," although his administration's withholding of food aid from Ethiopia for two years due to unwelcome efforts to implement land reform by the then-current government indicated that he certainly did)
• AIDS (something which, as again noted above, Reagan failed to mention publicly until 1987, much less advocate in favor of funding for research and/or treatment) and
• debt relief (which, hey, Reagan basically created for you to protest about by authorizing the IMF and World Bank to issue high-interest loans to developing countries in return for following so-called "free-market" policies that allow multinational corporations to come in and soak up the

[asia_argento]

But I feel foolish telling you things you know perfectly well. Why, you even said yourself, in an interview in Propaganda magazine on December 1, 1986:

One of the things I hate is that such a trusting people could have put their trust in a guy like Ronald Reagan. He may be a sincere man, but he is sincerely wrong in so many cases; for instance, in South America. There is no question in my mind that the people of America, through their taxes, are paying for the equipment that is used to torture people in El Salvador. In my trip to Salvador, I met with mothers of children who had disappeared. They have never found where their children went or where their bodies were buried. They are presumed dead.

Actually, there's a song which may be on the new LP called "Mothers of the Disappeared." There's no question in my mind of the Reagan Administration's involvement in backing the regime that is committing these atrocities.So this man, who you have gone on record as considering responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people, is a

[file_under]

no one can accuse you of just being another pretty face. bravo, my dear.

[asia_argento]

And a smooch back to you, my good man. Thank you.