Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Why are we spending $1b on the G8/G20?

For a meeting of political elites to discuss issues such as poverty, deficits, and out-of-control spending? You can't make up irony this thick.

7 comments:

penlan said...

Yeah, quite the joke - which is on us. Irony - good word.

crf said...

It's 8 leaders each setting out their own national policies with no multilateralism, coordination or enforcement mechanisms to their pronouncements

These meetings have a track record of dismal failure. Every G-whatever meeting has mostly failed.

Climate change -- FAIL

Nuclear Energy -- Mostly FAIL + extra big FAIL for Canada, sliding backwards on nuclear energy for two decades! As it says on a stamp I have: "Congraturation!"

Afghanistan -- FAIL

African development -- FAIL. Big Fail for Canada, backing away from commitments.

Millennium Development Goals -- FAIL

Economy -- FAIL. Unless you're an oligarch or a banker.

The Mound of Sound said...

For that kind of money aren't we at least supposed to get a luge track, a ski jump and a hockey arena?

wilson said...

And all the money stays in Toronto, the ROC pays.

Skinny Dipper said...

Wow! The Vancouver Winter Olympics operations cost about $1.7 billion.

For $1 billion, the government should have got private sponsorships. Think about it. The Coca-Cola harmony security fence, CTV broadcast rights to the 48 hour riot-a-thon, The Royal Bank G8/G20 Skydome/Rogers Centre opening ceremony with ennui CTV singer, Nikki Yanofsky, and The Focus on the Family Run for Life torch relay.

Fillibluster said...

I live in Toronto and I'm dreading this event. Helicopters everywhere, agent provocateurs trying to incite violence, and now "sound cannons" that will blast the eardrums of anyone in range, whether they are peaceful or not. Hundreds of business closed, the inevitable round-up of the homeless, and civil liberties suspended for the duration.
The G20: instilling fascism one city at a time.

Stephen Downes said...

I saw some video of Ignatieff on this, and he actually dithered on it. Dithered! He couldn't simply come out and condemn such a ridiculous expense.

Which means, from where I sit, that Ignatieff would have spent the money, but he just doesn't want to admit it. Which leaves your condemnation in the present post.... where?