Any hopes for the G8 summit or its protests?

Former Member

One interesting relationship won't change: German leader Gerhard Schroeder, who joined Chirac in opposing the war, has been unable to speak to Bush since November and been told that the president will be too busy to meet separately with him at Evian.

Plus less developed countries have been invited to a conference of the countries that own 90% of the world's wealth.

Former Member

They never seem to get very far in achieving anything, not sure what the point is really, if anything is to be done then surely it should be done on a parmanent basis not strange one-off meetings that just attract a load of flack.......

Former Member

Seems like a prestige thing again. Also, I wonder how the protests will be?

Former Member

Funny, but hardly surprising Al that pnj should make such a stink about Chirac making an offhand comment about the soon to be members acting more as American puppets than soon to be EU partners, and yet applauds the billigerent stonewalling of selective EU countries by his arrogant and self serving heros in Washington.

There's a new virus sweeping my homeland and it's acronym is H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y. Watch out SARS youve got big competition as epidemics go!

Former Member

I think he doesn't want to talk to the German PM because plans are being made to move troops to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and maybe Hungary from Germany.

Former Member

So is he actually embarrassed at his own supreme hypocrisy then?

Former Member

You told me not to say what I have to say again about a certain President holding grudges. So I won't say it again.:angel:

Former Member

at pnj.

Going back to the topic, while I object at mindless violence, cars being burnt and all that, it is important that as many people as possible make it clear that they strongly disagree with the mindless capitalism and globalisation G8 summits often represent.

G8 meetings seem an utterly pointless and isolationist exercise anyway. Unless serious aid packages and environmental agreements are to come out of any of them (and what are the chances of that!), the whole thing appears to be a rich man's wankfest and a platform for business deals and agreements away from the other 240, poorer nations.

Former Member

??? at pnj.

I said George Bush holds a grudge. And you asked how many times am I going to say that?

Former Member

I agree Al, the most powerful nations meeting on there own certainly has the look and feel of them rigging things to go their way........

Former Member

Well consider its name, although not intended, when pronounced phonetically (G8 - "Gate") just reinforces the increasingly criticised notion of the industrialised powers' efforts to erect a gated community that excludes the vast majority of the planet's populations whilst benefitting a dwindling number of elites even within its own confines.

Much commentary has been appearing from both geo-political as well as humanitarian NGO circles that this mentality will become its own downfall when the pressure of unmet global needs and non-existent opportunity reach critical mass.

As Bob Geldoff said on a televised BBC report on the current famine in Ethiopia (paraphrased)... "...don't talk to me about your structural arrangements...just do it!"

Former Member

I would like to see organisation of nations in other areas of the world invited to these meetings, might get something useful done then.........