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marmar

(77,081 posts) Wed Jan 25, 2012, 11:37 AM Jan 2012

Occupy Davos: Attendees Confront a New Wave of Anger

Published on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 by Common Dreams

Occupy Davos: Attendees Confront a New Wave of Anger
Plus: George Soros on the Coming US Class War

- Common Dreams staff

This years’ World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, marks the start of the perennial capitalist meet-and-greet summit season.

The economic equivalent of the Oscars, the WEF is a time for the 0.1% to celebrate the achievements and successes of free-markets, and to discuss how to keep the crumbling ship from running ashore; it’s also a time to get in a few good runs on the slopes, deep tissue massages and a soothing hot tub session on the 99%’s dime.

Nestled in the picturesque Swiss Alps where the melting glaciers are deceptively intact and the hotels serviced by an army of invisible temporary workers, approximately 2000 global elites discuss everything from redistributing their obscene profits (a.k.a philanthropy) and environmental sustainability, to forecasting new areas of expansion and the future of capitalism.

On this latter note, delegates will be treated to a special brainstorming session on corporate capitalism’s forecast led by the wisdom of Bank of America CEO, Bryan Moynihan. Then to jazz things up, there will be several roundtable discussions with social media and internet hotshots, Facebook and Google, on how the revolutionary elements of web organizing can reinforce market growth. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/24-1

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Occupy Davos: Attendees Confront a New Wave of Anger (Original Post) marmar Jan 2012 OP

Davos elite: Capitalism has widened income gap xchrom Jan 2012 #1

xchrom

(108,903 posts)

1. Davos elite: Capitalism has widened income gap

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Wed Jan 25, 2012, 11:43 AM

Jan 2012

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_DAVOS_FORUM?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-01-25-10-36-37

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.

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