Readers Weigh in on G8 and Globalization

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

I am from Africa, looking at the G8 summit from a tiny window and with an empty stomach. In a sense, I am saying that we in Africa believe strongly that we are not part of the equation. Authorities are busy looting the scarce resources meant for the provision of shelter, water, and education for the masses. Many African leaders maintain bank accounts in the so-called advanced or first world countries. The G8 countries over-subsidies food items to Africa so that African peasant farmers can not break even by tilling the soil. They also turn Africa into a dumping ground for their inferior products and phased-out consumer items. While Africa remains poor, depending on hand-outs to prevent HIV/AIDS, bird flu, family control, but not much is being done in areas of malaria control, infant mortality, education, and job creation. G8 or no G8, Africa -- and, indeed, black Africa -- will remain poor. -- Alhassan Jaoji, Nigeria

Africa will stay poor, wrote one reader

I am all for globalization bringing the far-flung countries closer to talk to each other about the economy, world debts for poor countries, trade talks, and climate change. Opposition to globalization is not only selfish, but is short-sighted and harmful to maintaining harmony with one another and harmony with the planet earth. -- Bernard, Australia

It is my fervent hope that Europe will assume a greater leadership role at the G8 meeting rather than falling prey to arguments of and between the US and Russia. May the Force be with Europe! -- Peter Peters, Thailand

A global economy only works if we have global rules. The agricultural sector is a good example where developed countries pay high subsidies and then they export their goods to underdeveloped ones, who of course can not compete. -- Heinz Schwabe, Germany

Globalization and the G8 have been rendered totally pointless because they do not serve to rein in a madman like George Bush. Good grief, if the other seven members of this Group of Eight can't tell that this man doesn't play with a full deck, they must be blind in one eye and not see out of the other. While Germany shouldn't even have invited Bush, it even removes demonstrators who recognize a madman when they see one -- unlike Merkel, Blair, and Sarkozy. -- AN Mongere, USA

Germans need to realize that rioting is becoming a national sport in Germany, just as football hooliganism is to the British. Germans' love of practicing politics "en masse" has evolved into an excuse for violence. When the police are the ones who are getting hurt, this sad imbalance only encourages the more violent elements of society the next time around. And what difference does it make if some clown hands a policemen a flower, if others with black masks on their face go on a violent rampage? Even in a violent and somewhat hazardous country like America, neither the public nor the law enforcement community would tolerate this kind of nonsense. -- Paul Falk, USA

Rioting has become a national sport in Germany, opined a reader

Criminals who use protests as an excuse to commit violence should be locked up and made to repair the damage they cause. As a public safety officer, my sympathies go out to all police and firemen who are under attack by the criminal element there. My heart goes out to all the law-abiding citizens who have their peaceful lives disrupted in this manner. -- John Langenford, USA

I would have never expected such numbers and such violence. I am for freedom of speech but not for organized violence. Yesterday I saw on the Internet how young people prepared for the demonstration. Picking up cobblestones to be thrown at the police is creating chaos, not change; it backfires and does not help the poor. Service, generosity, respect, are means for a better world. Seeing what happens in organized Germany makes me have a little understanding for Putin, who forbids some such demonstrations. -- Elisabeth Heptner, USA

Why are they talking about Africa? You can't solve any problems there. Africa isn't in the G8. It should only be about G8 countries. Immigration should be first. If the G8 encouraged high birth rates we wouldn't need immigrants. The G8 creates more problems for itself and then wonders how it can solve them all. -- John, USA

No one can stop globalization, but we must take care to protect the poor who are suffering more in global competition. There are good as well as bad effects of globalization. We must reduce the bad effects and increase the good effects and for that purpose there must be watch dog -- wise people who constantly the behavior of multinational corporations in balance. -- Ramesh Raghuvanshi, India

The leaders of the G8 will not hear nor do they care to hear from protestors or dissenters of any kind from anywhere. -- William Sarpas, USA

Please consider the sentiments of the protestors. -- Philip Lau, Singapore

We can use taxation as a way to help people who are affected in a negative way. We could take from energy taxes to retain displaced workers, or fund tax credits to the poor with the increased cost of bio-fuels or other forms of clean energy. This is being talked about in the US. -- Lee Davis, Oregon, USA

The major issue is environment. -- Karuna Kanta Pal, India

The G8 nations must not be scared of nations like India and China and start to cut all power generation supplies from fossil fuel generation. Oil and gas reserves need to be used at a slower rate to sustain what we have left and bio-fuels need to be encouraged by the G8 nations. And Third World agricultural nations need to start growing the sugar cane, olives, canola, corn and harvest timber with the aid money supplied to them and not buy weapons or line their greedy pockets with the money. If they want aid money they must have an administrator from the G8 nations managing the money being used for the production of renewable energy resources. That will benefit the world supply. -- Paul, Australia