No more tea and sympathy
Updated on 02 July 2005
The anti-globalisation movement holds George Monbiot close to its heart, a man so driven by his principles he started his journalism and writing career living on less than £6,000 a year because he did not want to sell out.
George Monbiot wants to see the end of the World Bank and IMF
However, in the upcoming G8 summit,and even with Africa on the conscience of the world, he reacts sharply to being asked if he is a little bit cynical about the intentions of the world's most powerful eight men.
"I'm more than a little cynical. I'm very cynical.
"The will to be seen doing something is there for the G8 and they are trying to put a slightly better spin on their activities in the other poor nations but what we have seen so far are concessions as damaging and their implications as the issues they are supposed to be dealing with."
Monbiot wants to see the dismantling of the Breton Woods institutions of the World Bank and the IMF, and as realistic as he is idealistic, he knows no amount of talks in an exclusive hotel will help Africa.
His vision of the future is a global government, for there to be an international clearing union, the scrapping of the Security Council and the vesting of its powers in the UN general assembly.
"When you look at the debt package the G7 finance ministers negotiated a month ago, what we see there are conditions attached to the relief of debt which are as onerous as the debts themselves.
"They are demanding more liberalisation of trade and of financial markets, and more privatisation which are some of the reasons why Africa has been doing badly over the last 20 years.
"The issue at the G8 is power and because it is the key issue, it is the issue that will not be discussed.
"At the moment the G8 have almost total control on the global stage, they control the Security Council. Through their green room negotiations they more or less control the WTO.
"If you are going to have a fair global settlement, then there has to be share of power for the poorer nations and until the G8 nations are prepared to give up some of the control over global governance."
On the train to Edinburgh carrying hundreds of protesters, Monbiot held court over those present who consider him as a kind of guru.
A cause of much mirth was the picture on the front of many newspapers with Bob Geldof draping an arm around Tony Blair.
Playing to the crowd he was scathing of Geldof and the picture, but when questioned, was a little less critical. Geldof has his heart in the right place, he thinks.
"I don't want to dismiss the extraordinary efforts of Geldof and Bono in pushing the issues on the global agenda and mobilising millions.
"The problem is their technique is to flatter power and avoid criticising power as the impressions they create is that the G8 is an organisation that can help but is not an organisation that does not do any harm.
"This turns the campaign into a philanthropic campaign, and substitutes charity for politics and takes us back to the age of tea an sympathy."
