Time to Scrap outdated and expensive G8 meetings?

[Josephus]

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/663057

I think the guy is right. Nothing except hot, polluted, air comes out of these guys.
And on a more local note, it seems Canada's PM Harper was late for the group picture again. What is he doing all the time? Puking the sacramental wafer?


Back in 1988 when Toronto hosted the G7 summit, the leaders of the seven top industrialized countries pledged to help the world's poorest nations and called for major action to clean up the environment.

That was the guts of an eight-page communiqué issued by the leaders, including Brian Mulroney, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, that was filled with self-congratulatory praise and glossed over the major controversies that threatened to disrupt the summit.

Tomorrow in L'Aquila, Italy, the leaders of what is now the G8 will issue a similar communiqué, much of it written weeks ago by faceless bureaucrats, filled with the same vacuous rhetoric and empty pledges to help the poor, protect the environment and solve many of the world's other problems.

But the fact that the G8 leaders meeting this week in Italy are struggling with the same issues as they were in 1988 is a clear sign these summits, which cost more than $500 million to stage, are too often a waste of time and energy.

Indeed, in the 21 years since the Toronto summit, the gap between the richest and poorest nations has continued to increase; global warming has become a worsening problem; and some of the G8 policies, notably the move to unfettered free trade and globalization, may actually have exacerbated the current economic meltdown.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has it right.

She said last week that the G8 is no longer the right place to deal with the world's problems.

"The summit in L'Aquila will make clear that this G8 format is no longer sufficient," Merkel said, arguing that the problems the world faces cannot be solved by the cozy private club on its own.

Paul Martin, who attended 10 summits both as Canada's prime minister and finance minister, is even more blunt than Merkel.

"The time has passed where the G8 can take the world for granted," he says. The problem is that the meetings "are not designed to facilitate the kinds of informal political debates that must occur between political leaders. They are designed to accommodate pre-cooked set piece speeches."

So true.

In Italy this week, the G8 leaders will meet together for just three hours. They will spend almost as much time reading prepared statements and staging photo ops.

For his part, Martin is pushing a new body comprised of the world's top 20 leaders to replace the G8, which now includes only the United States, Britain, Japan, Germany, Russia, France, Italy and Canada.

Others say the body should be even bigger, arguing that smaller groups are too exclusive.

Despite these complaints, the G8 has rejected almost all efforts to alter the summits, ranging from increasing membership, improving the agenda and – horrors – abolishing them entirely.

The members have ignored and excluded major new players, notably China and India, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa.

Such stubbornness is inexcusable. How can you possibly deal with today's world issues without these countries, especially China and India, at the table?

Next year's G8 summit will be held June 25-27 at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. Like the summit this week in Italy, it will be carefully scripted, right to the minute.

And like Italy, the Huntsville summit will likely produce a totally meaningless final document.

Maybe instead of staging the next summit, the leaders could simply recycle the eight-page communiqué from the 1988 summit.

The issues won't have changed, and, unless major changes are made in how the outdated summits are run, nor will the G8's ability and desire to deal with them.

Here's link to article about Harper stashing the Holy Wafer....bloody anti-Catholic.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/663208

[Viking]

and some of the G8 policies, notably the move to unfettered free trade and globalization, may actually have exacerbated the current economic meltdown.

idiocy like this makes me want that anti-hairpulling pill.

[Neil]

The G8 doesn't represent the world.  It represents civilization, although that weakened a bit once they brought Russia on board.  I suppose the G7 represents civilization, and Russia is there to speak for the barbarian world.

[Neil]

And by the way, just because climate change is a big deal right now doesn't mean that huge strides haven't been made in environmental policy and awareness.  The writer of the article is obviously scum.  As if the fact that he writes for the Star wasn't enough to convict him already.

[Grey Fox]

The money would be spent somewhere else anyway.

[crazy canuck]

Josephus, if the Prime Minister was Liberal or (God Forbid NPD  ) the Star would be trumpeting how important these meetings are.

[Josephus]

You guys are all so cynical. 

But wait...isn't Obama over there?

[saskganesh]

whatever. the leaders of the industrialised world still have to meet, so you may as way have meetings under the public spotlight rather than in secrecy.

if a country's leader is not held accountable for his or her decisions, then it's a domestic political failure.

meetings suck, but that's how things work in a complex modern democratic society. most people dislike meetings, which is why we need specialists (in the case: politicians) to go to them.

[saskganesh]

I am pretty sure I pocketed a wafer once. sounds like something I would do. I never had an opportunity to steal wine though.

anyhow, good for Harper. 

[Neil]

I'm surprised the Star would raise a stink about the PM not respecting Catholic ceremonies.  'Opiate of the masses' and whatnot.

[alfred russel]

The list of "major new players" in the article includes Mexico and South Africa. 

[Neil]

The list of "major new players" in the article includes Mexico and South Africa. 

They need to include someone from Africa, or else they're racist.

[Sheilbh]

I read an article somewhere, though I can't remember where, that suggested that the G8 should become secondary to the G20 which is more important in terms of economics now.  So G8 stuff should feed directly into meetings with the G20.  I mean three of the G8 members now have a common currency, one (Italy) is an irrelevance, no-one seriously thinks that in terms of global economics Russia really matters as much as, say China and India, both of whom are in the G20.  I think it sounds right to me.

[Valmy]

And by the way, just because climate change is a big deal right now doesn't mean that huge strides haven't been made in environmental policy and awareness.  The writer of the article is obviously scum.  As if the fact that he writes for the Star wasn't enough to convict him already.

I was thinking the same thing.

By the way anybody find it hilarious it was implied the poor countries have all remained poor...but wait you are ignoring all the poor countries that are now rich!

Oh and the left never gets tired of beating the drum about how horrible globalization and free trade are.  Protectionism and provicialism seem to be their winning formula for a better economic tommorow.

[garbon]

Umm, $500 million is supposed to be a costly price tag? America routinely drops more than that without batting an eye.