Contra G8 Summit

If there were no G8 summit, there would be no G8 summit, but little else would change. That's the basic point of protests against the meeting.

No one wants to prohibit the leaders of the world's wealthiest countries from getting together to talk. The G8 nations are not only the globe's most affluent states -- they're also the ones who do the most damage to the environment.

For that reason, they have a responsibility to address the world's problems. The problem is that while leaders will discuss topics like the environment at the summit, they won't achieve any results.

The last summit in Germany, in Cologne in 1999, was the exception to the rule. There, leaders decided to forgive a select group of poor countries one-third of their debts. But ever since, summits have yielded little more than declarations of intent, posturing, well-intentioned advice and promises that would later get broken.

That's too little for a group of nations that bears such enormous global responsibility. And that's why thousands of people are demonstrating in Heiligendamm.

They want to remind the world's leaders about the huge gap between words and deeds. Where else can protestors send this message if not at the summit itself?

Naturally, summit critics know that the eight member states won't be able to solve all the world's problems, and they recognize that any discussions are potentially constructive.

The point of the summit, though, is to do what's possible, and year in, year out all we get is hot air. Sadly, there's been nothing thus far to indicate that Heiligendamm will be any different.

Andreas Becker is a political editor at DW-Radio. (jc)