Pinch me: Irish rocker turns American neocon

"Saint Bob" Geldof, of Live 8 series of concerts, says we need to do something about Africa before the Chinese muck it all up.

"It's going to have to happen now because China will be all over Africa ... and they will embrace any government," Geldof told Reuters on the sidelines of a news conference in Johannesburg.

Geldof's comments came as Chinese President Hu Jintao tours three African nations to boost ties as Beijing trawls for the energy and minerals it needs to feed a booming economy.

Geldof understands!

Could it be that those on this side of Howard Dean's insanity are seeing the inherent contradiction of opposing regime change in Iraq (ie, getting rid of the Butcher of Baghdad) and griping that no one is doing anything about the Sudanese and Dafur.

Maybe the fever is beginning to break. At least Lawrence Kaplan gets it (here or here). But if that is true, how come it takes a rocker to point out that Chinese President Hu Jintao went to Africa right after coming to America?