A pointless, grotesque and quite repulsive act of grandstanding

The agenda for the G8 is now clear: economic revival through better trading conditions; the elimination of corruption; the humbling of dictators; possibly even regime change. Yes, most of the G8’s member nations are in an almighty mess, and until they show the will to sort themselves out, you can forget their doing anything useful for the rest of humanity.

It is difficult, on the occasion of this utterly pointless, grotesquely expensive and quite repulsive act of grandstanding, to know for whom to feel more contempt: the Blairs, the Chiracs, the Schröders and the Berlusconis, or the silly little anti-capitalist plonkers parading themselves through Edinburgh rejoicing that they can chuck bricks through windows again. The former, aware of what the public wants to hear, have made all the right noises about aid to Africa. They won’t go beyond rhetoric, partly because of the overwhelming weight of their self-interest and partly because of African despots’ disgusting reluctance to pursue policies that will end famine.