politics

G7 foreign ministers meet face-to-face after pandemic pause

45 Comments
By JILL LAWLESS

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And so these over entitled self serving ones fly aorund the world with large contingents expelling large amounts of emissions, enjoying the best foods and hotels , when a simple video conference would have been suffice.

Hope they all spent 2 weeks in quarantine on the way there and on the way back !!

Can anyone else here see the double standards and hypocrisy glowing brightly.

Enjoy you overseas holiday over golden week did you all ?

13 ( +14 / -1 )

meet face-to-face

Just do this using teleconference and focus on vaccination progress.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

If one ever wonders where the Fathers of ALL the world's problems are, look no further.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Here is a great article on why Japan is so far behind!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/04/why-is-japan-failing-so-badly-vaccinations/

Suga should be more than ashamed, being in the same group as Myanmar!

5 ( +10 / -5 )

China has no friends. Even the previous NK dictator told his son not to trust the Chinese.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Cogito Ergo SumToday  09:54 am JST

If one ever wonders where the Fathers of ALL the world's problems are, look no further.

China wasn't invited.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Waste of time and money.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The new world order is not going as planned thanks to China. This story is fast moving. Let's keep watching.

"Host nation Britain is keen to show that the rich countries' club still has clout in a fast-changing world, and has warned that the increasingly aggressive stances of Russia, China and Iran pose a challenge to democratic societies and the international rule of law."

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Bjorn TomentionToday  09:05 am JST

And so these over entitled self serving ones fly aorund the world with large contingents expelling large amounts of emissions, enjoying the best foods and hotels , when a simple video conference would have been suffice.

Hope they all spent 2 weeks in quarantine on the way there and on the way back !!

Can anyone else here see the double standards and hypocrisy glowing brightly.

Enjoy you overseas holiday over golden week did you all ?

Yep. This is precisely how it's easy to tell that the danger from this pandemic is vastly exaggerated as a means of social control. A textbook case of do as we say, not as we do political theater. At the very least, people like these politicians ought to be ignored.

Asked what message the group would send to authoritarian regimes, Raab said the G7 believed “in keeping trade open. We believe in standing up for open societies, for human rights and democracy. We believe in safeguarding and promoting public good.”

Raab either has no sense of irony, or is blatantly dishonest. The second option seems more likely, given the behavior of him and his cohort.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Yet, we can agree this G7 meeting does have a certain ‘forced perspective’ of where some members actually stand on certain, critical foreign and domestic issues.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

G7 has outlived its original objectives years ago. It has been irrelevant and non-functional, mainly for show and self-grandiosity.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

All these global officials should be doing the same 14 day quarantine that they require on the rest of us. Only for thee, not for me crap from all the high powered global leaders.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Some of you are bitter, some are funny but the democracies of the G7 will be around and prosperous long after China's demographics have left it in decline. All of you greatly over rate Russia. For 140 million people its GDP is small. Mexico has a larger and more profitable manufacturing sector and a higher per capita GDP than Russia. Russia has a lot of left over nuclear weapons from the Soviet era but they are not advancing the state of the art in very many places. Neither is China. If you go to a scientific conference in China, most of the research being presented is coming from western universities and research labs. Very little from China. The Chinese are soaking it all up and hoping they can bamboozle you into working for them or selling them your knowledge. They will tag team someone else's work but not so many original out there ideas coming from Chinese researchers. Example, the Chinese aren't doing a lot of advanced physics. If they are it is not apparent from their peer reviewed research. China has a huge demographic problem that is going to gut their economy in the coming decades. Russia is even worse off. Their leaders do a good job of blustering their way through but their fundamentals are exceedingly weak. Russia's aerospace industry is two decades behind the US and getting further behind every day. They are not bringing in new engineers to replace the old graybeards from the Soviet era when they die off. Russia doesn't make much of anything anyone wants except oil, gas and low cost military hardware. China has lots of young engineers making a lot of mistakes. Mao's Red Guards exiled or killed all the smart people who today should be their senior engineers, program managers and scientists running their most technically demanding programs. Instead China has to stoop to stealing the intellectual property of the most advanced western firms. It is anybody's guess what happens in Russia politically. When Mr. Putin is gone the place could come apart again. He might not even be re-elected next time he is up for election. He'll try but a lot of Russians are sick of his nonsense and their low standard of living. The male life expectancy is down to only 59 years and some Arctic regions it is down to 53. A lot of Russians die long before they can retire. Anyone who is young and smart goes to the west to study and work. Some of you greatly underestimate the inherent resilience of elected representative governments, a free press and guaranteed rights. The dictators cannot compete long term with elected governments. The old USSR looked so mighty in 1988 and you had all kinds of people claiming the west was doomed and communism was the future. They were wrong and many here are just as wrong.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They are setting an example for people to follow.

So despite taking the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, they are telling everyone that basically nothing will change? Are they aggressively setting the example that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are pretty much useless?

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Out of curiosity I wonder how come all FMs hold a blue or blue-like tie.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The leaders of the G7...What a motley crew of elitist ,self serving, entitled old fools.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

And, as many wished yesterday, better fitting suits and shoes before the next photo opp.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

And despite taking Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, they all wear masks, carefully practice social distancing and etc. What was the point of taking the vaccine?

1 ( +14 / -13 )

China wasn't invited

Neither was Riussia. The two also ARE, in their own rights, the world's most influential countries. One is Christian, European, the other is Asian and the 2nd largest economy....more like Japan, just bigger and in a (few ) decades will be No. 1 it has done well on its own without " prescriptions" from the West, So what gives ? NO " CONTAINMENT" will work.

The fixed eco-system of civilizations is that one will rise and eventually fall....just pass the baton gracefully and better still, working with the rising civilization WILL work best for the receding one. AND the world in general. The US and the West should be gracious ! It is Civilized people who pause to reason, Barbarians don't.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

This is just painful to watch.

ALL of them have been vaccinated, so the forceful use of masks, social distancing, and "elbow salutation" is all completely meaningless and it sends the wrong message about vaccination.

Vaccination hesitancy is on the rise because the message that, vaccination serves no purpose, since you still have to do all that stuff.

Politicians really have fallen in love with this "new normal" and seems like they are not willing to let it go.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

snowymountainhell:

It may be an inaccurate ‘depth of field’ issue @pukey2 10:24am. All G7 representatives are proportionally depicted here.

That's what makes it worse! This is one time when it might have been better to invite Putin for the photo op!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Please note J gov during any meetings - minutes will be taken and copies produced as is normal practice. Any attempt to hide them or lose them would result in immediate dismissal. If you want to join the top table learn how to be open and honest !

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This will be a welcome distraction concerning both the scandals brewing in the sleazy UK conservative government and the ineptitude of the Japanese government at dealing with the pandemic, putting the Olympics before the lives of its own people.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Vaccine will never be the full story. Already a number of cases reported worldwide of vaccinated people catching the "rona. This is now endemic and mutating and until we get over the mass hysteria the world will carry on masking and elbow tapping and shutting down and all the other restrictions.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It would be meaningless if the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were as effective as they are telling us. But they are not.

Thing is, they are.

Not sure what media or misinformation you have been feed, but the Moderna trial proved it was 94% effective against mild illness and 100% effective against severe illness or hospitalization.

The Pfizer trial shows an even higher efficacy rate against mild illness, at 95%.

Those rates are extremely high. Vaccines for things like influenza are around 60% or less effective, and still they are concidered effective.

This new wave of antivaxx is just insane, and is focused on maintaining the covid-19 restrictions for as long as possible and even beyond.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Still, one, or two, will continue to ‘come up short’ in many aspects:

“Domestic crises; quick, effectual decision making; and ‘fairness’ with the implementation of policie s”.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

glad they get to fly while we don’t

Of course I’m jealous about that, but more importantly, why don’t they have to isolate at their own cost of about $5000 every time they travel freely?

BTW, tagline should be “NWO war committee meet before G7”

0 ( +6 / -6 )

It may be an inaccurate ‘depth of field’ issue @pukey2 10:24am. All G7 representatives are proportionally depicted here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Poster says G7 but I see 8 people? oh EU????

0 ( +0 / -0 )

G7 for now C7 incorrect

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They should continue to meet virtually if they are serious about tackling the climate emergency.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I’m glad for once seeing proper social distancing measures, in the photo. Now let’s hope Motegi has learnt something and that he will teach his peers - and the folk in Japan, that you need 2m, not 20cm, between people.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

ALL of them have been vaccinated, so the forceful use of masks, social distancing, and "elbow salutation" is all completely meaningless and it sends the wrong message about vaccination.

Completely agree! One of the many reasons (apart from being rushed and the unknown long term side effects) I have decided not to get vaccinated is precisely that, it serves no purpose if you still have to do all that.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Everybody made mistakes during this pandemic. China made the first mistakes because it was the initial source of the outbreak. However, these G7 and all subsequent countries made bigger mistakes down the road. Armed with foreknowledge, these countries should’ve done better.

The most populous nation averages 19 cases per day. Yes, these number may be or are lies but you can only lie and hide deaths for so long.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the meeting “demonstrates diplomacy is back.”

What kind of diplomacy would that be then, Dom? Spout empty drivel diplomacy? Do as I say, not as I do diplomacy? Make a treaty and then break the terms six months later? Rattle the bars of your cot and threaten diplomacy? Please, pretty please, let me sit at the grown ups' table and 'punch above my weight' diplomacy? Let's not talk about any Russia connection diplomacy? Pathetic posturing.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Suga should be more than ashamed, being in the same group as Myanmar!

and how many Covid 19 deaths does Japan have compared to the world?

Suga should be proud.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

This is just painful to watch.

ALL of them have been vaccinated, so the forceful use of masks, social distancing, and "elbow salutation" is all completely meaningless and it sends the wrong message about vaccination.

It would be meaningless if the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were as effective as they are telling us. But they are not. Nothing would be worse for vaccine hesitancy than to see any of these scumbags catch the virus and die even though the vast majority of the worlds population would likely rejoice.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So they all get to travel , first class no doubt , what a waste of money .Meanwhile us lowly citizens have lost jobs ,income and way of life ,just another slap in the face ,they should be ashamed .

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

A well-staged photo of the G7 representatives, alluding toalmost‘ equal stature, amongst “developed countries”.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Well said bo!! Couldn't agree more!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Just give The Boss, some wood and send him off to the retirement home. Listening to him wheeze his way thru hoary lyrics is mind-bending and epitomizes the less than insightful spin on a supposed ground level look at America.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Agreed, @sakurasuki 6:57am

Just do this using teleconference and focus on..” -

Yet, the face-to-face meetings and photo opps were believed necessary by the G7 members. Teleconferencing makes it difficult to the ‘signal’ potential enemies that ‘the weakest remains surrounded’ by protective allies.

Plus, potential enemies may have sufficient technology and assets to ‘spy-on, tamper with or interrupt’ the communications, infrastructure and internal affairs of the individual G7 countries.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

China has no friends. Even the previous NK dictator told his son not to trust the Chinese.

The fascists and supremacists of EU and USA have no friends. They even increasingly dislike each other. At least with the German Reich on one side and USA and it's little sidekick, UK on the other.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

"And despite taking Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, they all wear masks, carefully practice social distancing and etc. What was the point of taking the vaccine?"

They are setting an example for people to follow.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

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