Who Elected These People?

When I was growing up I remember my father debunking the ultra-right wing conspiracy theories that the world was controlled by the Trilateral Commission, or bankers, or the Rockefellers.  

But now, I am beginning to believe those folks were on to something.  The World Economic Forum has been held in the ski resort town of Davos, Switzerland for 38 years, but in the past decade, it has become the must go to event for the world's powerful and gliterati.  Former President Bill Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, heck, even African dictators muscle an invitation.  Private jets fly corporate executives, cocktails and dinner parties entertain the attendees, and apparently there is a famous all night party hosted by, of course, Google.

So who cares if they are in Davos or Cannes?

The difference is, in Davos there is a lethal mix of corporate interests and policy makers, all allegedly talking about how to help the world.  And indeed, theories about free trade and the globalization of the economy (the lifting all boats idea), are discussed with enthusiasm.

It has been reported (which, by the way, hot-shot reporters and opinion makers like Arianna Huffington and Tom The World is Flat Friedman not only attend, but give talks at this Forum) that at this years forum which recently ended, many policy makers and more than likely corporate leaders, derided American politicians for including stipulations in the stimulus packages before Congress that American produced goods should be used on infrastructure projects.  And these leaders say, if America is not careful, free trade will end.  With straight faces they assure Americans that China will have an open bidding process for their infrastructure projects, so maybe American steel could be used for railroad tracks.   Raise your hand if you believe that any American manufacturing company will win a bid in China.  

But really what these threats are about is that the rest of the world still views the United States as one large consuming population.  And if we become even the slightest "protectionist" it means we won't buy BMWs from Germany or running shoes made in China.  Since we barely manufacture anything in the United States, those countries are not afraid of us flooding the world markets with goods, but rather that we will not buy their goods.  

I am not a buy American person.  I don't think I have ever owned an American car, although the foreign car I own now was manufactured in America.   I buy Chinese made running shoes, wear Mexican made jeans, Vietnamese made fleece vests, Thai oxford cloth shirts.  But, I do resent the simplistic and self serving pro-globalized economic arguments that are made these days.  And I think it behooves us to spend time examining the fundamentals of what went wrong with our economy before we gleefully return to spending money on imports.

Last, I really want to know who elected those people who attend the World Economic Forum and why it is the rich, powerful, and famous all get together to decide the fate of this world?