Do you think G-8 summits achieve anything tangible?

Saturday 28th June, 03:41 PM JST

15 Comments

Razor at 05:25 PM JST - 28th June

They are good for the local economy for a few days but that's about all. By the way, how do Canada and Italy rate positions in the G-8? Are they really powerhouse economies that affect the global economy?
pathat at 12:41 AM JST - 29th June

I voted yes from the standpoint of all the work various ministry officials do for months leading up to each summit.

how do Canada and Italy rate positions in the G-8?

Both countries should be kicked out next decade and it should become a G-9 with the additions of China, India and Brazil.
Farmboy at 02:55 PM JST - 29th June

Of course they do something tangible. Activists blame the decisions made at the G8 meetings for everything from the AIDs problem to global warming, so something must surely come out of these meetings.
tokyotom at 04:11 PM JST - 30th June

a colossal waste of money, time, effort just a show now, and with 14 other countries in tow, so as to not hurt their feelings Canada / Italy are hanging in by the skin of their teeth, just see if they can be dropped, there would be tears!
Nessie at 06:58 PM JST - 30th June

It will again be a great boon to makers of private luxury jets.
satishkochhar at 03:58 PM JST - 1st July

Yes this is good and is great for mankind. Regards
flammenwerfer at 08:11 PM JST - 1st July

should be called the J-8: Junket 8

my friends dad is a local cop who is being sent up there, she said he is quite hacked off (no, not like the graffitied train) about having to go as it will suck big time for cops - no junket for them
bushlover at 09:30 PM JST - 1st July

With all the technology around, skype, yahoo, msn, net meeting and all I think they are really wasting a lot of money that can be used elsewhere. Think of global warming guys!! all of ya together in one spot and all that hot air surely must cause ozone depletion!
RedMeatKoolAid at 03:03 PM JST - 2nd July

It's the comfort of the ultimate intangible - believing your country is America's equal - that makes these little confabs top stories.
smithinjapan at 10:08 PM JST - 2nd July

It's hard to believe there are NO benefits for such a thing; in MOST countries anyway they provide a good show of protest against a number of issues. Agree with it being a colossal waste of money, though, and that they really never accomplish anything but glutting themselves on the tax payers money via lavish dinners.
OssanULTRA at 01:47 AM JST - 3rd July

no, probably not.
Zurg at 04:13 AM JST - 3rd July

Well - here we are !! They got us talking about it, didn't they?

Everyone has allot of great ideas but no one wants to talk about them. Like changing the oil driven cars to run on water.

The US does come out with great inventions, but others take that and make it better.

Like Thomas Edison's light bulb, and Nikola Tesla's fluorescent light. Like the German's VW and Japan's Subaru.

This world is destine do be better, it's just we seam not to get along very well. When those wrinkles start to iron out then ideas will only be made in the history books.
sabinuki at 05:53 PM JST - 3rd July

If Japan's sudden bloated sense of importance could be measured alongside the tv ratings, then yes.
rajakumar at 06:37 PM JST - 3rd July

Another G8 boring meet, ZZZZZZZZ-----ZZZZZZZZ------ZZZZZZZZ
Xeno23 at 09:25 AM JST - 4th July

Everybody has conventions, even world "leaders". It's prolly just an opportunity to get out of town, have some nice meals, and wear silly hats. Oh, and it gives the protest inclined something to do. Police overtime pay too, plus a good reason to use all those stale old rubber bullets - well, okay, so not in Japan, but pretty much everywhere else.