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After Genoa, where? We'll Have to Do This Again SometimeBy Rick Horowitz
My mother's Tuesday Mah Jongg game is more than just the game. The Monday game and the Thursday game, the ladies show up, they play -- that's it. The Tuesday game is different. The Tuesday game, there's a "Hostess of the Week." The "Hostess of the Week" picks up each of the other ladies and drives them to the clubhouse, and then drives them back home again afterward. The "Hostess of the Week" brings snacks. The "Hostess of the Week" is in charge of cleanup. My mother doesn't mind being "Hostess of the Week" -- she likes the company, and four weeks out of five, she doesn't have to do the driving. It could be worse. Lots worse. She could be hosting the G-8. So: Wasn't that a fun-packed couple of days in picturesque Genoa? There they were, together again: the leaders of the world's seven largest industrial nations, plus the Basket Case Formerly Known as the Soviet Union. Plus tens of thousands of chanting, marching, fence-rattling, rock-and-firebomb throwing (some of them, anyway) demonstrators absolutely opposed to some piece of the summit action, or all of it, and absolutely determined to grab their share of the spotlight. Plus a massive police presence, complete with tear gas, body armor and (care to reconsider this one?) live ammunition. "We can't go on meeting like this." That's the reaction from some corners of Globo World, and can you blame them? It's gotten to be a regular ritual: They hold a summit, they get a riot. They hold another summit, they get a bigger riot. They're rich and they're powerful; they can't help being a target for the discontented. But do they have to keep painting a bull's-eye on their chest? Enough with the summits -- maybe it's time for teleconferencing. "We can't give in to terrorists." That's the other reaction, and you can see their point, too. What message would they send if the most formidable nations on the planet allowed themselves to be spooked by a gaggle of protesters, no matter how angry or violent? There are important issues out there demanding their attention, their coordinated action. Sometimes the personal touch -- the comment over coffee, the conversation in the hallway -- is just the thing to break the logjam. Putting these leaders face-to-face is the only way to make it happen. Here's the problem with holding a meeting of the world's largest industrialized nations: They're large industrialized nations. Which means they have major cities, which are served by major roads, major rail lines, major airports. Which means cars and vans and buses can get there from elsewhere. Likewise trains. Likewise planes. Which makes it easy to attract a crowd. The authorities tried to turn Genoa into a fortress, but all that meant was the fighting occurred at the fence line. It didn't stop the fighting, because it didn't keep the crowds from showing up in the first place. The Canadians have a better idea. Our Neighbors to the North have apparently seen quite enough of the mobs and the megaphones and the battles in the streets, thank you very much. They'd rather not have a repeat performance on their turf when it's time to run next year's little bash. So they're choosing their turf very carefully. Say hello to Kananaskis. You've never heard of Kananaskis? That's the general idea. Kananaskis -- or so the newspapers say -- is a small resort town some 50 miles outside of Calgary. In the Rocky Mountains. I'm sure it's very pretty. I'm also sure it wasn't chosen because of its scenery. It was chosen because of its convenience. Which is to say, highly in-. Will it work? Too soon to tell; those demonstrators are a determined bunch. But when you're "Hostess of the Year," the whole thing is riding on your shoulders. I hope they remember to bring the snacks. Posted 7/24/01. Join
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Rick Horowitz
