The G8 summit - A Cold War relic?

[Rapisco]

Why is it that so many globally influential Countries are excluded from the G8?

China, now the world's fourth-largest economy and the nation with the most influence over renegade North Korea, is not a member. Neither is India, the world's largest democracy and one of its fastest-growing economies.

Nor is South Korea, Brazil, Mexico or Spain, each with a larger economy than G8 member Russia's. In fact, Spain recently inched past member Canada as the world's No. 8 economy, according to a World Bank tabulation.

What about South Africa?

last year, the summit partners called on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to produce more oil, yet neither Saudi Arabia nor any other OPEC member are participants.

All a bit strange eh???????????

[JCSkinner]

Fine Gael were calling for an end to Israeli aggression in the Lebanon yesterday, yet they are members neither of the Knesset nor the Lebanese parliament.
People are allowed to call on others to do things, you know!

[Rapisco]

Fine Gael were calling for an end to Israeli aggression in the Lebanon yesterday, yet they are members neither of the Knesset nor the Lebanese parliament.
People are allowed to call on others to do things, you know!

A retarded answer.

[JCSkinner]

How so? It refutes one of the planks of your position. Perhaps it is more that your initial post was retarded. Do you know anything about the history of the G7/G8? What its role is to its members?

[Rapisco]

How so? It refutes one of the planks of your position. Perhaps it is more that your initial post was retarded. Do you know anything about the history of the G7/G8? What its role is to its members?

Exactly, my point is not so much what the role of the G7/G8 is to its members. Its the membership question i am trying to get some views on.

It currently represents only about 60% of the industrialised world.

All im asking is why exclude the chinese, spanish etc??

Even you have to agree that the world economy is so different than 30 yrs ago. Why is it not represented within the G8? Russia in 1998 is the only addition since 1977. On a slightly different level, look at how the EEC/EC/EU has changed since then..........

[JCSkinner]

It is a closed grouping, whose members themselves decide when and if they should co-opt anyone. They have chosen not to. That is their decision to make.
You weren't aware of this?

[Rapisco]

It is a closed grouping, whose members themselves decide when and if they should co-opt anyone. They have chosen not to. That is their decision to make.
You weren't aware of this?

Listen, im not disputing the rights of the group, what they are about etc..

Im simply asking why they do not see any benefit in expanding its membership for thegreater good of the industrialised world.

[Abaddon]

It is a closed grouping, whose members themselves decide when and if they should co-opt anyone. They have chosen not to. That is their decision to make.
You weren't aware of this?

Listen, im not disputing the rights of the group, what they are about etc..

Im simply asking why they do not see any benefit in expanding its membership for thegreater good of the industrialised world.

Probably because they are only looking after their own interests. If you have a pie and you divide it by 8 you get a bigger piece than if you divide it by 10 or 12.

When has the G8 ever done anything for the good of this planet. All they do is look after their big business buddies.

[Rapisco]

Probably because they are only looking after their own interests. If you have a pie and you divide it by 8 you get a bigger piece than if you divide it by 10 or 12.

When has the G8 ever done anything for the good of this planet. All they do is look after their big business buddies.

Thanks Abaddon, thats EXACTLY what i was getting at. Its a wonder they dont suffer some political pressure from the excluded interests to expand?

I just cant understand why India, China, RSA etc lie down and accept it.

Just strange.

[oreiley1]

The G8 never achieves anything anyway. The only thing it has achieved in recent tears is to boost Bonos and Geldofs ego. The Africa promises of last year have largely been ignored.

At a hugh security cost for the host country these politicians meet and talk waffle. Israel opened up a warfront with two bordering countries, nowt was said. Somalia heads towards Islamic fundamentalism, nowt was done. Iran, N.Korea , nowt was done.

It should be scrapped.