Dispatch from London: Day 1 of the G-20 Summit
President Obama and his wife Michelle arrived in London on a sunny, but tense 'financial fools day'. They're staying just across the road from my apartment -- at Winfield House, the Ambassador's home in Regent's Park. Built for heiress Barbara Hutton, it "oozes English country-house charm as seen through the eyes of a Hollywood set designer" according to those snooty types at the Guardian.
My regular morning -- and always peaceful -- constitutional through London's verdant greenery is now disrupted by blockaded footpaths, machine-gun-toting policemen, and buzzing helicopters. But I am not grumbling. Indeed it gives me, and millions of Londoners, a thrill to bask in the glow cast by this glamorous couple.
In the City this morning the police blocked roads, stopped any passers-by with a backpack, and clogged up side-streets with van-loads of crouching policemen. Financiers obeyed management instructions and 'dressed down'. Gucci jeans, pink open-neck shirts and patent leather shoes made bankers as conspicuous as flamingos in a crowd of protesting wildebeest. Some were defiant. At UBS bank they plotted to photocopy 50 pound notes and shower them on demonstrators, while others were determined to drive past protesters in their shiny red Ferraris.
The police were in costume too. Darth Vader suits. Similar to those that terrorized me as I walked the peaceful streets of Seattle in November, 1999.
Later a more cheerful crowd descended on the European Climate Exchange, blocked the street and within minutes had assembled hundreds of colourful tents, and a huge banner: 'Nature doesn't do Bail-outs'.
And just as in Seattle, a small group of trouble makers smashed four windows at a RBS bank -- just opposite the Bank of England -- and newspaper headlines screamed 'Riots rock City of London'.
But while the protesters are more or less united, G-20 leaders are squabbling like parents fighting over how to constrain their petulant teenagers.
"You're letting them spend too much" says Mummy (Merkel/Sarkozy), to indulgent Daddy (Brown/Obama).
"And anyway' says Mummy tearfully 'It's all your fault. You've always indulged them. Spared the rod and spoiled the child. Now they've wrecked the house, and you're letting them get away with murder. We have to regulate them much more tightly'.
'No', says Daddy, trying to sound calm, and masterful. 'They're doing fine. Let's just get back to the way things were before. And if we want them to be creative and get jobs, we have to back them up with more pocket money.'
'That'll ruin them' screams Mummy Merkel. 'You never listen to me.'
'But I do. Why do you think I am here? I have come to listen' says Daddy Obama, softening his tone.
'I am not fooled by your soft-soaping' says Mummy Sarkozy. 'Don't touch me! You have no respect for my opinions. I am sick of you and your liberal ideas. I am walking out'.
Like children pretending they can't hear, Londoners plug in their Ipods, snuggle deeper down into bed, and haul the covers over their heads...
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TruthmongerII -
What is your level of education?
Reality-Plain and simple-
When you appoint/elect a "C" student for your president you get a "C" nation.
The citizenry of that "C" mentality made Fox News #1 Cable--8 long years
of that education.
The fact that Americans do not even make the top 25 in world ranking for education is proof that Fox works.
Watch out TruthmongerII -you might have to start thinking a little.
Is there really nowhere on the internet that has not been populated by revelations reading, carpet-chewing, conspiracy theory loons? The problem with covering day 1 Ann is that the other shoe falls on day 2. The demonstrators go home - they were pretty half-hearted in the first place, nearly as many causes as demonstrators - Brown & Obama get pretty much they want, China gets enough and Sarkozy & Merkel get to flounce around on the world stage for a while. Everyone goes home and they get to do it again in 6 months. And by the way we might just have a serious prospect of real nuclear disarmament. Not bad for two days.
These G-20 summits have always been a circus of the absurd in which powerful politicos from around the world point and wag the "j'accuse" finger at the U.S. while the U.S. grins and recipricates with "la bird" finger. Then they break for a lunch that costs the equivalent of a small nation's GDP. Meanwhile, outside in the streets are the masses of C-students from local universities with placards that make absolutely no logical sence, e.g., "Smell How the Tyranny of Money KILLS!" This time around we have the added silliness of whether or not First Lady Obama violated--VIOLATED, I TELL YA!--the Queen's royal personal space by putting her arm around the old bag (perhaps the first bit of affection Her Royal Nana's felt in decades.) Us folks in Middleville, America see the G-20 for what it truly is: The world's biggest and most ego-centric photo op outside of the Oscars Red Carpet Walk. Yawn...
"Indeed it gives me, and millions of Londoners, a thrill to bask in the glow cast by this glamorous couple."
Well, that's nice, but glamorous or not, they've sold most of us out; first with the bailouts, second by catering to homophobic bigots, third with war expansion plans for Afpakistan, fourth by ridiculing cannabis activists and victims of the Drug Wars.
You wouldn't be so thrilled by all the glamour if you had to live with these hypocrites and traitors.
I thought it very interesting in what the protesters said over there across the pond !!
we bail you out then you loan us our own money back with interest
Yes, this appears to be correct in how "they" create wealth for themselves. It would be like me stealing your horse in the middle of the night, then selling it back to you in the morning. O' and because I fed him, you owe interest too.
However, there is a bigger picture to consider here;
Firstly regarding the phrase The New World Order. The phrase appears to be a misnomer. It is possible that what we are now witnessing in the G-20 is the dieing breath of The Old World Order.
If we look deeply into The Book of Revelation, The Law of One and the other related material found; http://www
here we discover a battle that ends Anti-Christs’ “Obama?” old world Corporatocracy and the beginning of The Christs’ New World Order free from greed, materialism and the religiosity that was created by the parasitic minds of the Pharisee.
There is much to the story we are watching unfold here, however many do not seem willing or able to comprehend it, so all they focus on are FEMA Camps and Chemtrails. This shallow focus then causes them to protest, thusly causing them to use their heads as drums for night sticks, rather than for logical purpose.
My website if you have interest; http://www
Comment
ms. pettifor, thou hast doth proscribeth too much: verdant greenery! excellent post. it suggests that this crisis may be more opportunity than danger, that truly "wise" parents will know that the power of parallel solutions is the way to go -- strong, new regulation, including a UN-based global financial watchdog that will pacify Sarko and give PrezO some more maneuvering room, and substantial stimulation, which will depend on PrezO leading mummy merkel out of the dark; evidently she is still trying to wash off the truly
creepy backrub she got from W. and, worse, what it said to her about American style in general; and now when we really need her to cooperate, she views the US as a big game of Hustle and Flow . . . . tant pis pour nous . . . .
it could be considered power she,s got some thing and she is not giving it up cheaply
It isn't easy for financial "leaders" to admit that their mega-financial institutions have followed a leprechaun. It isn't easy to admit that your bank is flat-broke. Such bankers like call themselves rich; the smartest people in the world. Such people do not want to admit that they committed horrific crimes.
LOL - something I read...
"I joined the G-20 riots and all I got was this lousy police man's helmet..."
THURSADY after Obama's new conference:
I have never been so proud in the last 8.2 yaers. We now have a leader who can speak English, with a noramal accent( not midland cowboy accent) which people all over the world can understand. A laeder who can answer questions, practically about any world issues, economic, political or otherwise and who does not look at the watch ane leave in a hurry from the stage.
Who except Dumbaugh Hannity and savage, taht would want him to fail!?
God bless the people that's' us. who elected this man, give him a chance to do his best. Republicans, for four years, calm down and help in whatever way you can to sustain our economy, decrease unemployment and foreclosures. educate our children. Dont scare people bringing up imaginary Moslem terrorists, Mexican invasion, Hi visa peopel stealling our jobs etc.
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