大象传媒

The G8 meeting is a meaningless photo-op. A device for the police to attack peaceful protestors who are against this globe being turned into a prisonplanet.

Putin will make Bush and Blair look like fools, Bush will also make Blair look like a delusional fool, and Bush will also make himself look like a fool as that is what he always does.

I think that it is strange that the media play so much attention to the G8 meeting, because it is world leaders deciding the future policy for the planet, and yet refuses to cover the Bilderberg conference and does not even give a reason? and yet there are far more important agenda's set at those meetings.

Could it be that the media and the global elite really do have something to hide?

So the G8 have beem met for many time but I never knew that they make something better to the world.Then they have to stop the war and give more chance to others poor country.
We dont need bla..bla...bla. We need action.

Forgive my cynicism, but isn't G8 always big on rhetoric but ultimately very low on substance?
Has there been any real progress on the "big themes" in previous summits?

G8 is losing importance. In this globalized world, the center of focus is shifting from the west to the east. It would be better if the G8 is composed of the BRIC countries and other upcoming economies. This new G8 will represent the voices of the majority, not the minority which the current G8 represents.

I think the G8 should be an organisation of democratic countries which do not pose military threat to any other democratic country. Russsian membership should therfore be suspended until press freedom are estalished and military threat withdrawn.

Knud Munk

Originating, I seem to recall, as a forum for discussing macro-economic policy, the G8's agenda is now very much broader.

Perhaps we should'nt be surprised that it struggles to make a meaningful contribution, bereft as it is, of nations such as China and India whose impact on most matters of truly global significance is much more substantial than most G8 members.

Its a bit like FIFA being restricted to American, Australasian and African membership. Hold on; that might be an improvement!

It is obvious that the leaders of the worlds most powerful economies meet over issues of mutual concern. G8 provides a structure for that.

The next G8 meeting should as a matter of top priority focus on poverty reduction especially in AFRICA and some parts of ASIA. SOMETHING similar to MARSHALL PLAN may be useful. Climate change is crucial for the future of the whole world.Members must prevail on the "COWBOYS" to save mankind from the shackles of reckless use of fuel and other commodites which have increased the OZONE LAYER.CHINA is also guilty.

The G8 (in collaboration with other organisations, such as the World Bank and the IMF) functions very well in maintaining the status quo and business as usual for the 'Developed World', whilst holding the developing world in 'its place' and impeding development that occurs outside the terms of the G8... Basically, the G8 is a bullies club for the self appointed representatives of the 'developed' world, where they feel important and self-righteous whilst still neglecting the awful poverty faced by millions (in 2001 1.1 billion people lived beneath the $1 a day threshold).

If the G8 is going to make a difference there is need for a global Unity which outcome would be the end of any uprising globally.

"what is the G8 for?"
Now you've got them stumped, it's a bit like asking what good is the UN. or the EU.
All raise more questions than there are realist honest answers.

G8past its' sell by date..

It was conceived in an era when it was both highly desirable and still possible for the leaders of the worlds greatest economies to meet informally and develop some level of personal rapport.

Twenty four by seven instantaneous communication, intensive security multilateralism and the intensity of domestic politics have undermined the foundations on which it was built.

It is another media feste and not really fit for any purpose beyond international posturing for domestic benefit.

Sic glori transit mundi.

Peter L. Walker FCIPR

You ask what is the G8.
well I would have thought it was obvious. It's an excuse for all those
over payed egotistical so called world leaders to go on a free jolly at the expence of the respective
countries tax payers

Ask Andrew Neil - how much money and aid has gone into the African Continent over the last 50 years - he has the figures.

My thoughts are Enough is Enough!
They all wanted Independence, they all got Independence, so they should by now stop being dependant!

to my view i wish this meeting should come up with the solution to end up war in African and European countries. they should also talk thing of how they can help the poor people in poorest countries like in africa.

It all shits, Earth is being devasted, human race at its perils, innocents are being murdered while G8 criminals responsibile for all eviles being done on earth are escorted. Criminals are rulers and innocents are criminal, world require new constitutions where any corrupted persons don`t have right to ride on power.
LIVE EARTH AND HUMANITY DOWN CRIMINALS

my comment
ONE BIG Gr8 TALKING SHOP

The G8 is an unrepresentative group who are truly only interested in serving the economic interestes of their own nations and not the chief concerns of the developing world. How many years can we listen to empty rhetoric and broken promises and put up with this undemocratic decision-making forum.
The best decision the G8 could make this year and the one most likely to aid development in coming years is to make this their last meeting

The G8 meeting is another talk shop where the simingly good intentions of the Rich West to help the poor are discussed. The unfortunate thing is that the notable ideas has continously remained ideas and never get implemented. It is about time African Leaders see through the sharaide and rise up to initiate and implement policies and programmes that would lift Africa out of the duldrums of underdevelopment and backwardness. The continued under development of Africa ultimately benefits the West and the G8. Infact the G8 and their summit is another grand style to continue keeping Africa under-developed.

I agree with numbers 9 and 10 above.

Hark number 20:

"Some of these leaders are entitled to press the nuclear bomb button should they need to."

"Entitled" to??????

I think its what goes on behine the sceane that is inportant

The G8 summit (or any other meeting of global leaders) will never find solutions to our current and repeated problems because their agendas are the cause 鈥� not the solution. Why?
Their structure and disciplines are based upon traditional beliefs and interests that are wholly responsible for creating global warming, (amongst other things), in the first place 鈥� and therefore completely incapable of providing any form of solution, as their track record of failed targets is evidence to.
Continuing to adhere to these beliefs produces a simple and undeniable template for global disaster which can be defined by just three axioms:
1 - We believe it is our right to take from this planet whatever, whenever and however we choose, without any thought or responsibility for managing what we are doing 鈥� primarily driven by our overriding need to create profit 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 work.
The present changes in environmental balance, caused by our increasingly intense corporate activity, we know, are now directly affecting our water supplies, seriously hindering food production which will result in an inability to feed ourselves. This dangerous situation is further exacerbated as we begin to use these threatened food stocks for ethanol production.
2 - We believe in financial management and the law of supply and demand to regulate what we use and need 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 work.
A growing shortage of food means ever increasing prices. This in turn will see an increasing number of people unable to feed themselves as basic life sustaining nourishment is taken beyond their financial capabilities.
This situation is again exacerbated by the growing demand for ethanol, causing a rise in grain prices which directly affects the prices of other food supplies such as meat and eggs - up to a 20% increase has occurred over just the last 12 months in China alone.
3 鈥� We believe in a political system to find solutions 鈥� it won鈥檛 work unless we change traditional underlying beliefs that regulate these systems.
As food scarcity escalates our traditional political institutions will need to be seen to be doing something, and so we lapse into blame as one race accuses another of hoarding. The application of 鈥渓abels鈥�, motivated by vested interests, ensures that we deteriorate into conflict as history is repeatedly evidence to.
The most powerful nation may come out on top by annihilating everyone else - but as global war escalates, who can say with any degree of certainty that they too will not blow themselves off the face of this planet, given the nature of nuclear weapons and modern terrorist warfare with its inability to determine who is the 鈥渆nemy鈥�?
By challenging what we believe, and in so doing changing traditional perceptions of our relationship with each other and our surroundings, I believe the opportunity exists for a huge evolutionary leap forward as a species. We are at a unique moment in time in our history and embedded within this era are the ingredients for either our destruction or survival 鈥� the choice is ours.

The G8 is a complete waste of time and money .Newsnight should not waste the tax payers money debating or reporting on this never ending fifth rate sit/com [real title "Many dark actors playing games"]Investigate the real reasons for an illegal war,the neglect of our armed forces and why you haven't played the song "Hey Eddie" it's free you know.Even to you! THEY CAN WALK THE WALK AND TALK THE TALK - BUT THEY'RE NEVER GONNA DANCE THE DANCE..AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO ANY BANK YOU LIKE
That's all folks
No refunds
The Silent Kingdom

Time will tell whether the G8 submit actually makes a difference. I suspect, however, with regret, that it will probably end up as a talking shop like so many other summits, with very little in the way of results.

It is worth noting that the G8 (and its predecessor the G7 before it) exists to discuss economic policy and I think perhaps it should stick to that. Most of the non-economic issues are very worthy, but there are other forums where they can be discussed. Let the G8 stick to the issues it was intended for, and actually result in something concrete on those issues.

The G summits - ever more lavish venues, menus, limos. Ever more expensive security to keep the proles at bay. The sort of protocol past crowned heads of Europe (though we've still got ours) would have envied. All courtesy of European taxpayers - and for what? The combined cost of the G summit beanos would pay for much everywhere - but I don't think those that attend them will ever give 'em up!

G8 can only be really G8 if she follows the Christ's patern of leadership which is based on unconditional Love and Forgiveness[John 3:16].
Chris C. JOseph.
www.mlpwo.4t.com

Most disturbing about summits like the G8 is that there is such disparity between what is told to the public and the real grubby dealing that goes on. The media appear to play along, reporting what they are told, finding small spots of tension and disagreement, but never, ever, finding out what has been offered as incentives, threatened for refusal, or what other, seemingly unrelated, issues have been brought into play.

With so much information missing, the public face of the summit so vacuous and the real face completely obscured, it is very hard for non-specialist members of the public to have any idea whether something important is happening or not.

Don't forget the answer "Nein W." But what 's the question? Does Wagner begin with a V?

The G8 has become irrelevant in a real sense.

It is essentially a regressive grouping of the world's richest nations whose objective is to hold on to what power they have and thwart any efforts by the rest of the world to promote decision making in more democratic fora.

That is, in part, why it has become a focus for opposition, and why it is contributing to the repression/revolution cycle.

It is no help either that it is dominated by the USA in its current administrative manifestation.

That is not to say that, on these occasions, there are not people out there looking for trouble for whatever reason. But it makes no sense for so called enlightened leaders to do their recruiting for them.

Did I hear correctly, Tony Blair was going to use a helicopter trip with Nicolas Sarkozy to brainstorm ideas on cutting carbon emissions, that is like Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in the pub with a free bar!

The amount of money wasted on securing these G8 summer holiday camps, is it really worth it. Just what do they do worthwhile in such a short amount of time!

I was pleased to see the end of an evil man,I did wonder if the whole thing was legal but mainly after no sign of,shall I say ,the nasty side of weapons.Tony Blair was called a liar because of that but Colin Powel showed to the United Nations just how they could have been moved before we arrived,so my conclusion was that it was backed by the United Nations and so I felt ok about it,my thoughts about the war being illegal disappeared.I do therefore think our troops should not feel as they've been saying but do think the new Prime Minister should make arrangements for the whole of the army to be home by next Easter.

I was pleased to see the end of an evil man,I did wonder if the whole thing was legal but mainly after no sign of,shall I say ,the nasty side of weapons.Tony Blair was called a liar because of that but Colin Powel showed to the United Nations just how they could have been moved before we arrived,so my conclusion was that it was backed by the United Nations and so I felt ok about it,my thoughts about the war being illegal disappeared.I do therefore think our troops should not feel as they've been saying but do think the new Prime Minister should make arrangements for the whole of the army to be home by next Easter.

G8.. Global warming, carbon emissions, world poverty, oil wars, nuclear energy.. Why do I feel that I am the only one in this world who have the answers to all these problems?. does everyone else just sit talk and comes up with the most ridiculous half baked soloutions costing fortunes, not solving anything and still we have to give up at least half of what we have already taken for granted. Yet all the problems listed above can be solved within 10 years 20 at most.
Knowing what I know, the biggest problem facing the world is the people who have power and money will never take seriously a good and sound Idea, if it will effect there standing and position even to the destruction of the world.

I do believe the leaders of the G8 have an important role to play in tackling climate change as well as other environmental and ethical issues. Although, I am sceptical that this summit will be sufficient to initiate the scale of change that is required. I beleive that we as consumers have the greatest power to change the way in which things are produced. The business world would have to adapt in order to remain competive if everyone (who could afford to) bought more environmentally friendly and ethically sourced alternatives. In theory, an increasing number of organisations competing on this basis would result in the cost of such products and technologies declining. This would encourage greater demand and act as a catalyst for business to continually develope innovative "green" products in order for them to maintain or increase their market share.

I would like to comment on the feature concerning the morale of the British troops in Iraq.

From one British expat to the (mostly young) service men and women. We really do appreciate you. Regardless of where you are serving, and why, with extremely few exceptions, you are held in the highest regard around the world, and I, for one, am proud of all of you.
Thanks, and God bless

Mike Stokes

This is a group of people very rich, they have to make things that poor can see withtout glasses. They have to listen people who needs help, and try to give them help its all they need.

I'd like to be a fly on the wall of the pilot's mess...

The will only dance, drink tea and then go to their families. NOTHING USEFUL FOR THE WORLD!!

G8 Are apparently doing more harm than good to internationanl community, more particulerly African Nations, considering the huge investment they have. This is becouse the G8 makes them higly indebted which perhaps been controled economically, politically or otherwise. Therfore African Nations have nothing to ulter,no movement have they except what they have indicated for them.IN FACT THIS IS INHUMANE. They should asisst them fully to meet the global economic environment by extending technical knowhow so as to be industrialised.

I don't think the G8 is making any difference at all. I can assign it to the category of toothless bulldog organizations.

If you promise something which is outside the scope of your capacity or deliberately try to decieve somebody on what you are not even willing to offer to them, then the meaning of your existence is useless.

8G is only used to making huge promises with little delivery at best and none at worst.

Its promises of $4.5b to Sudan in general, of which $2.5b belongs to South Sudan in particular is the ground I am using to judge the performances of 8G.

As I am writing this piece of note, millions and millions of South Sudanese children are still starving for the exclusive lack of food stuff inspite of its promises. Let alone the SPLA's soldiers who recieve their salaries three times only since the signing of CPA, and yet it was the 8G which promised it would undertake all these undertakings.

Dear Sir,

No slogans, no promises are further required and we do not need them more. We want action and only actions towards to save huminaty.

The G8 policies for the future actions should be relevant to decrease poverty & hunger, more scientific funds for research in climate change, appropriate realistic policies to save natural beauty of Earth. Put less burden on the poor countries. Emphesis should be made to provide financial & economic resources to the poor world for better enviorment efforts.

For GOD sake stop making us fool.

Maurice said on post #16,

"My thoughts are Enough is Enough!
They all wanted Independence, they all got Independence, so they should by now stop being dependant!"

I suggest people like Maurice go educate themselves on the nature of these debt burdened countries and the west's dealing with its corrupt leaders before sweeping away with a broad brushstroke the lives of millions of people.

Collected Eric, post #19 said,

"Take me to your leaders - not to your spoilt 20-year-old anti-glob sons or daughters. These nice middle-class kids in T-shirts and silly wigs are playing at provocation-mob politics. As we Brits used to enjoy doing in the cool '60s and '70s."

Whooah Eric, can you fit in any more ignorant sweeping generalisations in one paragraph? Have you ever met any of these people? Are you aware how many work for voluntary organisations? How many have working class jobs but take their time to try and improve the lot of people less fortunate than themselves?

He continued, "They should realise that it is Western democratic freedoms that allow them to romp through meadows without getting beaten up or sent to Siberia."

Boring, recycled rhetoric fuellednonsense. Presumably you'd have said the same thing to black protesters in the USA in the 60's marching and demostrating for their civil rights? Do you realise how people fought oppression and unequality so you can sit there and put down people who are doing what protesters for hundreds of years have done?

He continued, "If this were still the Soviet Union, they would indeed have been rounded up and sent to the Gulag."

But it's not the Soviet Union, because people fought for their fredoms and others didn't criticise them, unlike you.

He bumbled on, "Some of these leaders are entitled to press the nuclear bomb button should they need to."

On the one hand you witter on about democracy and freedom, then negate it all by saying that they are entitled to start nuclear war. I must have missed that democratic vote?

It is hard to say the least about the terrible significant contibution of the G8 partricular in Africa.The recent sham and shame about the World bank shows the reality that G8 or what is it call'Global hate' on the African soil and the world at large.They make billions of dollars,yet the only thing they can do is political and economic rip-off.
For God's sake,can somebody that what is the importance of G8 rather than given speeches of heaven and earth promises that will be surely reneged.It is high time,the G8 stand by their words.
We demand sincere promises of goals.

The g8ters will meet in a room adorned with all the trappings and iconic imagery that they will be very familar with, the black and white checkered floor, the statues of owls, skull and bones and an effigy of the prince of darkness taking centre stage; funny handshakes all around before they get to business of sucking the blood out of another poor nation in debt to them; Bush will remind himself of the 20 second film clip he saw after he won the US presidency, a clip of the JFK assination in dallas from an angle not seen by the general public; apparently it's shot from the grassy knoll area, its a constant reminder to him to always do the bidding of the corporate devil worshipers who put him in high office and any deviation from the given agenda and cross hairs will be aimed at the back of his head, and front and side..

the G8 is somehow important more for Africa because its partially solve Africa's affairs, but there only problem is most of this fund/aid cannot read where they are suposed to go which it is the G8 responsility to make sure its reached

commendations to G8 for having focus.

Sadly, G8 summits, dont endorse enough to deserve comments!

I Cannot believe that Germany has spent 12.5M Euro on security for what is in effect 2.5 days work. Surely there artte better causes that could have benifited from this money or?

Dave