Okay, gang, this is your friendly neighborhood Cachinnator helping you stay ahead of the curve. Today, October the 13th, a big new campaign is being launched. By the end of the day, everyone will be talking about it, so get informed! It's called Product (Red). It is the next step by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA, to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund. It's really pretty brilliant in its simplicity: They got retailers to offer a new or revamped product. The retailers have agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of that product to The Global Fund. Retailers do what they do best: sell. Americans do what we do best: buy. And Africans get more of the medicine, aid, and research that they need.

Now, the cynic may say that people aren't really changed just because they can be convinced that it's cool to "care" about Africa. That may be true. Yet, Africans get the help they need anyway. And who knows, for every 9 airheads, one person may actually learn that the world is bigger than their backyard.

That same cynic may note that the retailers who participate will see increased sales that will more than compensate for the donations they will be making. I'm sure that's true. I'm sure it was how Bono and Bobby pitched the deal! That's called good business. Sure, we could be down on these parts of it and wish that people cared because there are real human beings who are made every bit as much in God's image as they are who desperately need help. And being born in America does not entitle us to our comfortable luxurious life; rather, it endows us with the responsibility of seeing the immense resources we have shared with those who need them.

In a recent discussion over on Shlog that had to do with our identity as Christians and/or Americans, I said the following:

"Freedom and wealth are resources to be spread. If we find ourselves in possession of those resources, it's our responsibility to spread them as far and wide as possible - not to sit on them feeling lucky or hoard them as we Americans so typically do with our wealth... So it’s nice to have jobs that pay us enough to live in comfort. And it’s nice to have enough to eat. And we should certainly be grateful for these things – because we’ve done nothing to earn them. But that’s different from being blessed. All these things are passing... I don't hate America. Neither do I love it. It is what it is. I know that it has no more to do with God's relationship with people than any other nation. True, as Shaun said, our churches and our people are getting better at giving to those around the world with less than us. But that's not commentary on America. It's not American churches; it's churches in America. And the more we see ourselves in terms of our nationality as a qualifier on our faith the further from God we'll drift. Hopefully, we're just getting better at being Christians."

And in another recent discussion, this one over on Five Cent Stand, I said the following in response to the below quote by St. Augustine:

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others." -St. Augustine

"... Defining need gets tricky. Perhaps you're right about our focus. If we aimed to give away as much as we could, I think we would find our needs were much less.

However... just to be the turd in the punchbowl: Do we need art?

I [ask] the question because I certainly feel that we need art. I think it is part of what makes us human. It separates us from animals. And it is also a perfect example of how different people are going to define need differently.

That is to say, if you were told that you had five minutes to pack a backpack and get out of your house because your city was going to be destroyed, would you take up room with your favorite painting? Of course not. Now ask a 65 year-old person whether or not they need their savings. Their answer may be different from ours in our twenties and thirties.

This backs up the point we were making earlier in the thread: we're not going to come to consensus about what we need, but we should certainly agree that our focus as Christians should be giving as much as we can."

So back to Product (Red), what do you think? The only one of the products that I have a problem with so far is the American Express card. As I said over on Memer's blog, "I'm not sure how encouraging Americans' bad habits of spending more than they make will help. And let's face it: that's why credit card companies exist. They are completely soulless and evil. Now, a debit card I'd be on board with. Other than the AmEx though, this whole thing is freakin' brilliant." (Kudos to Meredith for beating me to the topic too.)

Most of the blog chatter I've been reading lately has been fairly negative towards both Bono and his effort. What do you think? Is it working with the world as it is in hopes of gradually bringing about change? Or is it pandering to corrupt businesses, heartless leaders, and mindless consumers? What do you think? Will you support (Red)?