In 2008, 2009 and 2010, I commented on the deliberations by European states during their DAVOS CONFERENCES and thereafter. This year, the karmic woeful cries from the icy wilderness rang out more desperately.
Die Wunder Frau, Angela Merkel, spoke frankly on the financial situation in the Euro-Zone and proffered constructive suggestions on the way forward for European economic survival. She left no-one in doubt that “Germany cannot promise what she cannot fulfill”.
The year 2011 was a very bad year for the world economic order. At last, the Europeans discovered that they do not live alone on planet earth. They began to see clearly that their own truths about how the earth should conduct its economic affairs should not be left to their experts alone. That their truth is only a fraction of the universal reality they have long ignored.
They failed to appreciate the fact that their domestic strategies could no longer work in isolation.The European states grew rich as a result of colonial conquests, inequality in the international division of labour, monopoly in the field of manufacturing and their dominance of international trade, since the 1870s.
The intervention of China, Russia, Brazil. South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, changed the international economic system drastically. States that hitherto imported manufactured goods from Euro-American states became exporters and because their prices are moderate, this has given them a good competitive edge.
At Davos, the main issues that were discussed were debt restructuring, fiscal discipline, and the role the European Central Bank should play in the financial crisis that Europe faces. The European Central Bank holds 52 billion bonds.
Greece must pay 18.4 billion before March 2012 or may have to leave the European monetary system if it defaults. With strikes continuing to disrupt state activities, it is unlikely that Greece can meet its financial obligations to its creditors.
The EU Justice Commissioner, Viviane stands firm on her belief that European politicians should not be allowed to make the decisions concerning the Euro without consulting the financial institutions.
The British Prime Minister has not yielded to European pressures to tag along some of the weighty decisions that the Euro Zone thinks will assist the EU to move forward. He spoke in strident terms to the displeasure of many state-participants at DAVOS.
Some European states are euphoric that Scotland may join the EU as a diplomatic measure to widen the gulf between Scotland and what will be left of Britain. The prospects of Scotland opting out of Britain and ending the 300 years of its affiliation with Britain will be interesting to watch.
With its oil and other minerals and a highly educated work-force, Scotland will find accommodation among the comity of nations.
Dr Gilbert Jones told scholars at BOSAS INTERNATIONAL LAW BUREAU, at Fugar that the prospects of the referendum on Scottish independence were good because the Scots will be able to enjoy the right of nations to self-determination up to independence.
Scotland can fulfill the requirements for statehood in accordance with the Montevideo Convention of 1933. It has a defined territory, a language and its own culture, it has the capacity to enter into international trade relations with all nations and states, it is a peaceful nation, it can enter into meaningful international diplomatic and consular relations.
Scotland will easily succeed if it applies to become a member of the United Nations. The British state has we know it today would change in stature inexorably.
Should Scotland insist on running its own Defence and Foreign Affairs, British influence in the United Nations could be diminished immensely. Some colonial relics will remain and London will construct a new attitude towards Scotland as it forays into the international community.
At Davos, this imminent change in British politics permit hopes that Scotland may join Europe and play a constructive role in its present search for durable solutions that would assist Europe to march forward unhindered by logic, polemic or arguments that win only public relations points.
At Davos, African leaders met separately in presenting what was termed “The African perspective.” Does it mean that African leaders have nothing to say about the state of world economic crisis, in which they are the milk-cows?
As long as European states insist on talking to themselves and continue to disregard genuine African input into the discussions on global economic issues, the more the problems will remain unresolved.
The African Union should set up the African Development Bureau to study inter-African Sale of Goods, Contracts for Sale, industrial partnership joint ventures, infrastructural linkages, road networks, free movement of goods and persons within Africa, joint research and technology development, internal refining of crude oil within Africa, means of payment for inter-African trade, regulations controlling banking and financing in Africa, including fixing of exchange rates within the Africa region, the establishment of an African Central bank, the intensification of cross-border trade, common insurance policies, strengthening regional trade organizations etc.
A ten-year programme should be adopted by the African Union. All African states should endeavour to intensify inter-African relations and minimize their dependency on Euro-American states.
It is a shame that Africans wait for Euro-American states to fight hunger, disease and illiteracy, simply because most African leaders are not committed to serving their people but they use their positions to steal the people’s money, which they lodge in Euro-American banks.
As a result of the current awareness around the world, it will soon be very dangerous to escape the people’s wrath, when they discover how much their leaders have kept abroad.
DAVON 2012 was not different from the previous meetings, except that smiles and strong handshakes were not that visible as was the case in the past. Things are becoming really desperate.
Euro-American states are now convinced that a war economy and flawed social justice systems are hard to reconcile. The Libyan misadventure, like the Iraq total waste of needed resources impacted on Euro-American economic recovery and there is no optimism to rely on as things seem to be getting worse.
The American voters should understand that any Presidential candidate that is talking tough about wars yet to be fought ,does not fit into the present social condition, which the American people are trying to improve upon through a new awareness that has become very glaring world-wide.
This is why Dr Fidel Castro said recently that the American Republican campaigns are marked by “idiocy and ignorance.”
Mit Romney said that he cannot make apologies for being rich. I wish that the majority of Americans can boast of being rich. Davos 2012, has broken the chain of the capitalist argument that only the rich should inherit the earth.
All God’s children are joint heirs to the throne of Heaven and they must have their fair share here on earth first.
