Ukraine Invasion May Be Start of ‘Third World War’, Says George Soros

THE GUARDIAN: Veteran philanthropist tells World Economic Forum civilisation ‘may not survive’ what is coming

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to be the “beginning of the third world war” that could spell the end of civilisation, the veteran philanthropist and former financier George Soros has warned.

In a ferocious attack on Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Soros warned that autocratic regimes were in the ascendant and the global economy was heading for a depression.

Soros, who has become a hate figure for the hard right in the US, also heavily criticised the former German chancellor Angela Merkel for cosying up to Moscow and Beijing.

With the mood in Davos already downbeat due to the war in Ukraine, Soros ramped up the gloomy rhetoric to new heights.

“The invasion may have been the beginning of the third world war and our civilisation may not survive it,” he said. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Speaks at World Economic Forum in Davos | DW News

Millionaires at Davos Say 'Tax Us More'

Millionaires Marlene Engelhorn and Phil White joined a Davos protest calling for higher taxes on the wealthy | PHIL WHITE
BBC: A handful of wealthy attendees gathered in Davos are calling on world leaders to tackle the cost of living crisis by pushing up taxes for people like them.

They took to the streets on Sunday alongside left-wing activists to call for fairer tax systems worldwide.

Political and business leaders are at the first in-person World Economic Forum (WEF) since the pandemic began.

But criticisms are mounting over the way the wealthy have profited in the last two years.

UK millionaire Phil White said: "While the rest of the world is collapsing under the weight of an economic crisis, billionaires and world leaders meet in this private compound to discuss turning points in history.

"It's outrageous that our political leaders listen to those who have the most, know the least about the economic impact of this crisis, and many of whom pay infamously little in taxes. The only credible outcome from this conference is to tax the richest and tax us now."

Mr White, who represents a group called Patriotic Millionaires, made his money as a business consultant. He said he was joining left-wing and anti-poverty campaigners calling for change at the annual meeting of influential business people and political leaders because the current economic system was failing.

Over the past decade, a growing number of millionaires and billionaires in the US and Europe have spoken out, calling for governments to impose higher taxes, including wealth levies on the richest.

While only a small number of millionaires were in Davos to attend the protest, the campaigners have sent an open letter to all Davos delegates, signed by millionaire supporters in several countries. » | BBC | Monday, May 23, 2022

Millionaires ask to pay more tax »

Coronavirus: Disney heir and Ben & Jerry’s call for higher taxes »

Trump to May: 'We Love Your Country'

Donald Trump and Theresa May hold a bilateral talk at Davos 2018. Trump used the opportunity to confirm his 'great relationship' with the prime minister and announce his love for the UK

UK Prime Minister Theresa May Gives a Special Address in Davos

French President Emmanuel Macron's Speech at Davos 2018 (Replay)

Iran's President Announces New Policy of 'Constructive Engagement' with Outside World

Iran's president seeks to mend relations with the outside world - but speech sparks angry reaction from Israel for what it 'misses out'

Read the Telegraph article here | Szu Ping Chan in Davos and Colin Freeman | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Oxfam: 85 Richest People as Wealthy as Poorest Half of the World

The InterContinental in Davos

THE GUARDIAN: As World Economic Forum starts in Davos, development charity claims that growing inequality has been driven by a 'power grab' by wealthy elites

The world's wealthiest people aren't known for travelling by bus, but if they fancied a change of scene then the richest 85 people on the globe – who between them control as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population put together – could squeeze onto a single double-decker.

The extent to which so much global wealth has become corralled by a virtual handful of the so-called 'global elite' is exposed in a new report from Oxfam on Monday. It warned that those richest 85 people across the globe share a combined wealth of £1tn, as much as the poorest 3.5 billion of the world's population.

The wealth of the 1% richest people in the world amounts to $110tn (£60.88tn), or 65 times as much as the poorest half of the world, added the development charity, which fears this concentration of economic resources is threatening political stability and driving up social tensions.

It's a chilling reminder of the depths of wealth inequality as political leaders and top business people head to the snowy peaks of Davos for this week's World Economic Forum. Few, if any, will be arriving on anything as common as a bus, with private jets and helicoptors pressed into service as many of the world's most powerful people convene to discuss the state of the global economy over four hectic days of meetings, seminars and parties in the exclusive ski resort.

Winnie Byanyima, the Oxfam executive director who will attend the Davos meetings, said: "It is staggering that in the 21st Century, half of the world's population – that's three and a half billion people – own no more than a tiny elite whose numbers could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus."

Oxfam also argues that this is no accident either, saying growing inequality has been driven by a "power grab" by wealthy elites, who have co-opted the political process to rig the rules of the economic system in their favour. » | Graeme Wearden | Monday, January 20, 2014

Feminist Group Take Topless Protest to Davos
Ukrainian protest group Femen protest half-naked at Davos as they demand more female representatives at the World Economic Forum and on political bodies worldwide.

Read the short article here | Saturday, January 28, 2012

Davos Elite: Capitalism Has Widened Income Gap

SEATTLE POST INTELIGENCER: DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — A four-year economic crisis has left societies battered and widened the gap between the haves and have-nots, financial leaders conceded Wednesday — with one suggesting that Western-style capitalism itself may be endangered.

As Europe struggles with its debt crisis and the global economic outlook remains gloomy at best, there's a sense at the heavily guarded World Economic Forum that free markets are on trial.

Many at the elite economic gathering in the Swiss Alps accept that more must be done to convince critics that Western capitalism has a future and that it can learn from its massive failures.

For David Rubenstein, the co-founder and managing director of asset management firm Carlyle Group, leaders must work fast to overcome the current crisis or else different models of capitalism, such as the form practiced in China, may win the day.

"As a result of this recession, that's lasted longer than anyone predicted and will probably go on for a number more years ... we're going to have a lot of economic disparities," Rubenstein said. "We've got to work through these problems. If we don't do in three or four years ... the game will be over for the type of capitalism that many of us have lived through and thought was the best type." » | Pan Pylas, AP Business Writer | Wednesday, January 25, 2012

WEF: Mit den Mächtigen im Schnee - 40 Jahre Weltgeschichte *
Ein Schweizer Bergort schreibt seit 40 Jahren Weltgeschichte: Davos und sein World Economic Forum (WEF). Hier in Davos hat der damalige deutsche Aussenminister Hans-Dietrich Genscher das Ende des kalten Krieges verkündet, die Premier-Minister Griechenlands und der Türkei verhinderten per Handschlag einen Krieg und es gibt kaum einen Staatschef oder Wirtschaftskapitän, der nicht ein paar Tage im Schnee von Davos verbracht hat.
Das Video hier abspielen | Mittwoch 27. Januar 2010
* Zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch (Schyzertüütsch) übertragen worden

Davos 2011 - David Cameron

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Davos WEF 2011: Osborne calls time on banker bashing – George Osborne has given a clear signal the Government wants to halt the long period of “banker bashing” by admitting “we need to move on”. >>> Kamal Ahmed, in Davos | Friday, January 28, 2011

What the hell is this chancellor is talking about? Who the hell is he to tell us what we are supposed to think? If this chancellor wants people to stop banker-bashing, then he needs to take action to halt the despicable bonuses which these people are stealing from the system. This is the disgusting face of ‘unbridled’ capitalism. – © Mark

Davos WEF 2011: Sarkozy Says France and Germany Will 'Never Let the Euro Fail'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France and Germany will never turn their backs on the euro, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said in his most robust defence of the troubled single currency to date.

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, he told speculators to be prepared for big losses if they bet against the euro. “[Germany’s] Chancellor Merkel and myself will never – do you hear me, never – let the euro fall,” he said.

“The euro is Europe. And Europe spells 60 years of peace. Therefore we will never let the euro go or be destroyed… To those who bet against the euro, watch out for your money because we are fully determined to defend the euro.”

President Sarkozy’s intervention comes with the single currency under greater strain than at any time in its short history. Davos has been abuzz with talk of a two-speed Europe, with billionaire investor George Soros warning that the “euro could possibly fall apart” under the strain.

Greece and Ireland are implementing painful pay cuts and other deflationary measures because they can not devalue, while Germany powers ahead. Ken Rogoff, the Harvard economist, has suggested Greece should be allowed to fail in an orderly fashion because its debts are insurmountable.

However, President Sarkozy said: “To imagine that we might pull out shows a complete misunderstanding of the European psychology. It has to do with our identities as Europeans.” >>> Philip Aldrick, Economics Editor, in Davos | Thursday, January 27, 2011

Le patron du Wef voudrait inviter Julian Assange au Forum de Davos
leJDD.fr: Le fondateur de Wikileaks ne peut actuellement pas quitter l'Angleterre.

Le patron du Forum économique mondial (Wef), Klaus Schwab, qui réunit chaque année à Davos le gotha international des affaires et de la politique, a annoncé dimanche qu'il souhaiterait inviter le fondateur du site WikiLeaks Julian Assange pour le prochain sommet en janvier.

"En réalité, je devrais inviter" Julian Assange à Davos, "mais ce n'est pas possible car il n'est pas autorisé à quitter l'Angleterre", a expliqué M. Schwab dans un entretien avec le journal dominical SonntagsZeitung. >>> AFP | Dimanche 19 Décembre 2010

Turkey No Longer Seen as 'Honest Broker' After Erdogan Outburst
HAARETZ: Turkey's role in mediating the Israeli-Arab conflict has been compromised by its leader's repeated censure of Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government official said Monday.

"He won't mediate anything any more," the official said. "His stint as mediator between Israel and the Arabs is over, that's for sure. He won't be accepted as an honest broker by Israel at all."

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose Israeli policy. He said no official decision had to be taken, but that Israeli leaders spoke about Erdogan in such a way that made it clear they did not have faith in him as a mediator.

Any Israel discontent is directed at Erdogan personally, and should not be misconstrued as a rupture with Turkey, whose cooperation Israel values, he added. >>> Associated Press (Yoav Stern contributed to this report) | Tuesday, February 3, 2009

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Vicenda Gheddafi, mea culpa svizzero, Saif al-Islam Gheddafi
TICINONEWS.CH: Il figlio del leader libico Saif al-Islam Gheddafi spera che una soluzione sia vicina per ristabilire relazioni amichevoli tra la Svizzera e il Paese nordafricano. Il figlio del colonnello Gheddafi sottolinea tuttavia che sarà suo padre a prendere la decisione di risolvere la vertenza che avvelena le relazioni diplomatiche tra i due Paesi da mesi.

"Mio padre e il suo governo" analizzeranno "le nuove proposte svizzere", dichiara Saif al-Islam Gheddafi in un'intervista pubblicata oggi dal quotidiano romando "Le Matin". Il figlio del colonnello precisa che le discussioni avute con la consigliera federale Micheline Calmy-Rey a margine del Forum economico mondiale (WEF) di Davos (GR) si sono svolte in un'atmosfera "molto buona". >>> ATS | Sabato 31 gennaio 2009

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