The G8 Wake

The annual G8 summit meeting started out in France in 1975 as a “fireside chat” with French delicacies and wines known as the G7 for the leaders of the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, UK, Italy and Japan and became the G8 when Russia joined in 1997. The “G” stands for group. The July 8-10, 2009 G8-plus-5 that took place in L’Aquila, Italy ─ the five being Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa ─ plus Australia, Indonesia and South Korea who belong to the Major Economies Forum, Egypt and another 22 from Africa, Asia and the Middle East for a “Grand” total of 39 proved its outdated desperate efforts to remain relevant.

The so-called cordial chat around a fire turned into a talkfest around a bonfire in military barracks in the worst performer country in the G8 that failed to meet its commitment made in 2005 at the UK-chaired summit in Gleneagles to double aid to Africa by 2010, in an earthquake shattered city hosted by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, embroiled in a very public divorce and lurid sex scandals ─ all very appropriate metaphoric backdrops of the rubble of the G whatever outdated irrelevant numbered structure it is for the 21st century ─ just as the irrelevant dated definitional classifications of so called “developed” and “developing” countries are today.

C’mon, how can a three day “chat” with 39 ego-maniacs and their “sherpas” devote the time needed to address a daunting agenda that included the worst global economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression, climate change, energy security, food security, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, resuscitation of Doha, development and elimination of poverty ─ with special emphasis on Africa and world trade ─ not to mention Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea that surely had to be discussed, be properly addressed, especially when the host nation did not prepare an agenda that was hijacked by the U.S. in China’s absence?

I agree with Nick Deardon, director of the London based Jubilee Debt Campaign, who says the G8 “should by rights be dead and buried, [It] harks back to the days when a handful of countries could happily control the world economy without interference.” He accurately described the summit in L’Aquila as just an “annual photo shoot.” Commitments made at the last few G8 meetings didn’t last the time it took the leaders to make it to the airport to leave. Their rapid ascent and departure from L’Aquila in helicopters means the 2009 promises will be broken quicker.

The 2009 G8 in earthquake scarred L’Aquila should be remembered as the groups wake.