The G20 – the summit gathering the world’s most powerful governments – is meeting to discuss the global economic crisis. Who is sponsoring the event? Banks and corporations!
Therefore, it is not surprising that the summit’s venue – the city of Cannes in France – is completely locked down, preventing citizens from accessing it while CEOs of banks and big companies all have access badges to tell governments what to do.
Corporations have taken our governments hostage, benefiting from extensive financial bailouts while destroying our economy.
Today they are buying their way into a summit that could decide the financial future of a large part of the world. The line between powerful corporations and responsible governments has become significantly blurred.
Politicians take money from corporations to fund their campaigns, implement policies that reward them when they come to power, and then find highly-paid jobs with them once their mandate is over. This is pure and simple corruption.
However, Société Générale, the French bank that received 12 billion US dollars during the bailout plan three years ago, and which has a direct and broad interest in Europe’s response to the Euro crisis – the main topic of this summit – has paid to have its logo prominently displayed as an official supporter.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its counterparts in other countries are invited to a comfortable ‘B20 Summit’ to tell leaders what they think.
The only way to obtain policies that protect jobs, tackle speculation, and ensure a future for all of us is to firmly reject lobbies and distance our leaders from the interests defended by corporations. Let us tell President Nicolas Sarkozy and other leaders that their future depends on rejecting sponsors today and reaching an agreement to refuse any hostage-taking of governments by corporations.
The global economic crisis is the result of greed and the defense of narrow interests. But when citizens are under pressure, they can come together in amazing ways, as we have seen throughout the year.
From Wall Street to London and Melbourne, tens of thousands of people are occupying cities — we can join their call for responsible governments and the rejection of corporate takeover!
