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G-20 or G-192: Which is more 'global'?

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The Decline of Western Civilization

Pocket Change: Let's Start A Revolution
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

Posted by The Liberal Voice

I try not to focus on the gloom and doom side of this period in time. But I will say that what we saw at the G20 was indeed the "Decline of Western Civilization". I'm not predicting an economic collapse,but the power the West had to influence world order has diminished. The very fact that the G8 is now the G20 is the best indicator.

Emerging powers like China and Russia are publicly questioning USA's imperial dominance. Record deficits. Asia wants more authority in the USA backed IMF. Russia and China blocked a UN security resolution on North Korea. Our European Union NATO allies do not support our wars in the middle east. Countries want to dump the dollar and are seriously questioning our economic model.

I think the Obama administration realizes this and that is why they showed such humility at the G20.

Greeks Stage Walkout Tied to Summit

By ANTHEE CARASSAVA

Published: April 2, 2009     www.nytimes.com

ATHENS -- Thousands of Greeks went on strike Thursday, crippling the country’s public and private sector in an action that labor unions said was timed to coincide with the Group of 20 summit in London.

The 24-hour nationwide walkout is the latest show of opposition to austerity measures taken by the center-right government here in response to the international financial crisis.  READ FULL ARTICLE

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/world/europe/03greece.html

G20 - Make or break?

As the G20 is set to begin on April 2 in London, and as protests to it spread throughout Europe, Paul Jay speaks to Wiliam Engdahl about the significance of the summit. Engdahl says that, "the problem is that the G20 is an arbitrary construct that was hammered together largely by Washington in a vain attempt to keep the globalized system that they had created ... to keep the rules of the game intact." He says that, "the basis of consensus doesn't exist among the G20," because China, Russia and Europe have different interests right now than to bail out the dollar.