What is the G8? Every year world leaders convene for their annual summit, accompanied by thousands of protestors and anti-globalization activists. In Genoa in 2001, street battles between police and demonstrators made world headlines, as one protestor was shot.
This book is a one-stop guide for anyone who wants to know more about the G8, what it is, and why it’s a problem. Leading writers and activists including Noam Chomsky, George Monbiot, Susan George, Mark Curtis and Caroline Lucas explain in brief, succinct chapters, what is wrong with the G8 neo-liberal agenda and propose alternatives.
Chapters cover G8 attitudes to the key issues: war, corporate power, climate change, immigration, trade, debt, food. Ideal for anyone who is troubled by the current direction set by our world leaders, this book is also a great tool for activists.
Table of Content
Introduction: Barbarism Inc.
Gill Hubbard and David Miller
Section One: Concentrated Power
1. Globalisation and War by Noam Chomsky
2. Britain and the G8: a champion of the world’s poor by Mark Curtis
3. Democracy by Colin Leys
4. War by Lindsey German
5. Corporate power by Olivier Hoedeman
6. The Gang of 8: the good governance roadshow by Emma Miller
Section Two: Issues 103
7. Climate change by George Monbiot
8. Trade by Susan George
9. Food security by Caroline Lucas and Michael Woodin
10. ‘War on terror’ on racism, asylum and immigration by Salma Yaqoob
11. Privatisation and workers’ rights: but neo-liberals are such nice people … by Bob Crow
12. Poverty by Tommy Sheridan
13. Debt: the debt crisis and the campaign to end it by Vicki Clayton
14. Health and HIV/AIDS: fine words and fatal indifference by Ronald Labonte, Ted Schrecker and David Mc Coy
15. Genoa 2001: which side to be on? by Haidi Giuliani
16. Where do we go from here? by Sam Ashman
Conclusion: Naming the problem by David Miller and Gill Hubbard
About the author
David Miller is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath. He is the co-editor of What is Islamophobia? (Pluto, 2017) and the author of Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy (Pluto, 2007) and A Century of Spin (Pluto, 2007).