That free market Africa needs so badly

Well, well. Some folks who won tickets for the Live 8 concert have been auctioning them on eBay. Tut, tut. Terrible thing, capitalism — though of course just what Africa needs, according to Western finance ministers.

Meanwhile, St. Bob Geldof is not amused.

Geldof demanded the immediate removal of tickets being sold on the site.

He said: “I am sick with this. It is a disgrace. It is completely against the interests of the poor.

“The people who are selling these tickets on websites are miserable wretches who are capitalising on people’s misery. I am appealing to their sense of decency to stop this disgusting greed.”

An eBay spokeswoman said: “We have offered to make a donation to the Live 8 organisers at least equivalent to the fees we collect from the sale of Live 8 tickets.”