G-8 summit to be held at Camp David, not Chicago

[former9thward]

Source: Chicago Tribune

The G-8 summit will be held at Camp David, not in Chicago as had been scheduled.

The White House announced the change in the following statement:

"In May, the United States looks forward to hosting the G-8 and NATO Summits. To facilitate a free-flowing discussion with our close G-8 partners, the president is inviting his fellow G-8 leaders to Camp David on May 18-19 for the G-8 Summit, which will address a broad range of economic, political and security issues.

Chicago police estimated that 2,000 to 10,000 demonstrators were expected to show up for the overlapping G-8 and NATO summits. At least two major demonstrations were already planned for downtown during the summit, and organizers said they wanted to send crowds of marchers down Michigan Avenue in the middle of the day.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-g8-summit-to-be-held-at-camp-david-not-chicago-20120305,0,2787373.story

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It looks like they wanted to avoid the demonstrations.

[Arctic Dave]

1. Don't want the rabble to interrupt their tea time.

It must suck to have to look at the people who you are supposedly representing.

[truedelphi]

2. These meetings are not what our Founding Fathers intended.

For citizens in the USA to be ruled by various trade organizations, World "leadership" groups and other nefarious self promoting entities. All this activity is something that must have Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Franklin and Washington turning in their graves.

We citizens are not supposed to be ruled by carefully constructed orgs that meet in secrecy.

[frazzled]

12. Huh? There was no G-8 when our "Founding Fathers" were alive

They sent Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson over to Europe to bargain in private with the royals and privy councillors and such ... far away from the madding crowds and the rank American rabble. They had a pretty good time over there, as I recall: eating and drinking royally and consorting with the lovely French ladies.

[truedelphi]

20. There is a huge difference between

Travels and diplomatic maneuvers that Jefferson and Franklin took upon themselves at the behest and request of the struggling nation, and the efforts of our politicians to create laws that serve only the MultiNational corporations at such summits as the WTO, the G8 and G20, and NATO.

And Jefferson and Franklin did report back on whatever was going on, so the meetings were transparent in terms of the Americans in attendance in Europe and the Americans back here in the states.

Yes, at the modern day summits, the meetings are in secret. The public doesn't find out about what happens at these meetings until after the negotiations are over and the writing on the contracts is dry.

The Founding Fathers didn't know we would someday have a G8 and G20, a WTO, or NATO, but they did know about such entities as the Knights Templar. Also,they personally had experienced how Great Britain took upon itself the French and Indian war, spent lots of money, much of it never really accounted for, and then billed the colonists for that expense.

Because of that experience, and many others like it recorded in the history texts of the time, they wanted elected officials who would not kibittz in secret with foreign officials. Laws that impact American Citizens were supposed to be made in the halls of Congress, and not in secret meetings.

[frazzled]

24. Both Jefferson and Franklin conducted secret negotiations

Look up any history of Franklin's negotiations with the British and the word "secret" will appear numerous times. The treaty of alliance with France in 1778 was conducted secretly, as much diplomacy has been.

And Jefferson. He entered into secret negotiations to purchase the Louisiana territory from the French (who had gotten it in a secret treaty from Spain). And it caused quite the Constitutional ruckus afterwards.

Naive rewritings of history do not work to undo the facts.

While the G8 may conduct talks in private, any treaties or agreements they make are fully disclosed to the nation, both government officials and the populace.

[atreides1]

3. It wasn't just the demonstrations!

I think the White House wanted to avoid the perception of a police state that Mayor Rahm was going to impose!

[Lasher]

10. How could we possibly look like a police state now?

This is a brilliant change of venue that demonstrates for all to see that there is nothing autocratic about the good ol' US of A!

[polichick]

4. Wow, what a clever attempt to shut down Occupy the G8.

[sad sally]

14. Yep, the number one reason.

The isolated, high-security facility will also make it much tougher for anti-globalization or Occupy Wall Street protesters to get anywhere near the leaders or to cause widespread disruption.

Funny thing, though, the NATO meeting to discuss the transition out of Afghanistan will be in Chicago the two days after the G8 meeting. Guess it'll be okay to thump the antiwar protestors.

[Earth_First]

19. The problem is, the distance between the two...

It makes it extremely difficult and cost prohibitive for many activists to protest both events..

They know this.

[Purveyor]

5. Run and hide you f'n potlickers. eom

[Magoo48]

6. Good job Occupy...

IMO these periodic circle-jerks have next to nothing to do with the real difficulties facing working people.

[polichick]

15. Occupy changed the conversation from constant deficit reduction talk to...

...all the things that have allowed the president to get a new start.

If you think it's just been a "circle jerk" you haven't been paying attention.

[malthaussen]

7. Yup. Kind of interesting timing with the passage of HR 347.

I would guess -- and it's only a guess, you understand -- that the people in power are getting a little tired of having to listen to the rabble bitchin' at them.

-- Mal

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. My thoughts exactly. Ever notice how FAST oppressive bills get passed

in a Congress where both sides complain they can get nothing done because of the other side?

[waddirum]

30. Yep

Like that "Unanimous Consent" vote to mandate electronic mortgage document notarizations to be legal in all states.

[Octafish]

31. Money.

"Money is the mother's milk of politics." -- Jesse M. Unruh

On lobbyists:

"If you can't eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women and then vote against them, you have no business being up here."

Wish we had more of his kind of representation today.

[Fearless]

8. Closed door meetings to decide if I will have a livelihood in a few years.

Delightful.

[marmar]

9. Geez. The leaders of the G-8 "democracies" sure are afraid of democracy.

nt

[Vincardog]

11. No they just like a quiet democracy. You know where THEY talk and WE listen

Camp David will more closely approximate
the remote settings in which the G8 leaders prefer to gather.
Summits in large cities typically see clamorous protests,
while those in the countryside are calmer and more sedate.

[polichick]

28. Yes - it's not only Republicans showing their cards lately.

[Cal Carpenter]

13. Well there go my honeymoon plans

[xchrom]

16. Well isn't that interesting. Pretty cowardly. Nt

[Bozita]

17. News item from 2/14/12: Chicago Buys New Riot and Aerial Surveillance Gear for NATO/G8

Link to the original post here at DU:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002309982


http://chicagoist.com/2012/02/14/city_buys_new_riot_and_surveillance.php
Chicago Buys New Riot and Surveillance Gear for NATO/G8


Riot gear like what this Chicago police officer wore in 2009 is getting an upgrade in time for the NATO/G8 summits. (Image Credit: El Moco)


Chicago police officers will receive brand new face shields which will fit easily over gas masks and seal out any incoming liquids, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Emanuel administration awarded a contract worth nearly $200,000 to a Colorado company for the purchase of more than 3,000 new face shields. The contract comes as part of the city's new authority to purchase goods and services for the NATO/G8 summits in May without competitive bidding or City Council approval.

According to Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Shields, 3,000 new helmets might not be enough. Because the old helmets are thinner, weaker and liquid can seep through them, Shields would like all of the city's 9,500 patrol officers to have new equipment. He told the Sun-Times “Rioters known to attend NATO and G-8 meetings have been known to throw bags of urine and bags of feces at police. Chicago Police officers need a shield that can adapt to what is being thrown at them.”

To our knowledge, no protesters plan on bringing any kind of scatological materials to the demonstrations in May. Furthermore, while cursory searching found plenty of speculation, rumor and hyperbole about such instances, we have yet to find any actual hard evidence outside of commentary. To the contrary, a civil liberties advocate told an independent news website in December “This is part of a spectrum of information war strategies that the state uses to repress dissent.”

In addition to shiny new helmets for the summits, Chicago Police will have their helicopters equipped with new surveillance gear, along with helicopters from the fire department. In a press release, a company called Vislink announced yesterday:

The airborne units will transmit to four strategically located ground-based receiver sites providing city-wide coverage and the ability to simultaneously receive real-time images from two aircraft for viewing at the OEMC operations center. An additional three receive systems will be installed in the city’s mobile command vehicles to facilitate field operations.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. Sounds like they are planning for....war.

[patrice]

18. Well. Fuck! That!

[dfherher]

21. Spam deleted by cbayer (MIR Team)

[unkachuck]

22. they chickened out....for being so young, I'm surpised Obama even remembers 1968....n/t

[limpyhobbler]

23. I guess they are trying to avoid a "big scene".

Makes sense because everybody knew it was going to be huge and all over TV and the internets.

[Odin2005]

25. Cockroaches hate light.

[lib2DaBone]

29. What does Mr. Obama know?

Wonder what is going to happen between now and the May G-8 that caused Mr. Obam to change the location?

Israel strike on Iran? Economic collapse?