It seems that almost all the G8 leaders have by now mumbled some kind of reluctant 'support' for the demonstrators calls for change; almost all, but not our own dearest leader.
Pourquoi pas, M Blair ?

The Blair camp are trying so hard to keep in the pockets of the private sector (planes, trains, hospitals, roads, welfare you name it) that they must be petrified of being left high and dry if they dare to p*ss off their corporate dannas (obscure term from the Japanese Geisha culture... basically a sugar-daddy who pays through the nose for sexual priveleges - in this case... well, make up your own minds...)

You expect the Labour government to make even empty noises about global democracy when it just aint part of the grand ole strategy...??

Let's keep in mind that Tony Blair's New Labour government was elected in June with the direct support of less than 25% of the population eligible to vote. (It's now official - 23%) His recent comments at the EU & G8 fiascos on due democratic process do not bear scrutiny now these figures are disclosed. He does not have a mandate. This is not democracy.

He has also shown by his comments this week to be utterly disdainful of 'his' populace or their well-being. Any sympathy I could have held for him and Short has completely evaporated. Basically he has become America's asswipe.

Don't be naive, the only reason for which Jospin is much faster than Blair in pretending to agree with us, is because it is much easier to have 200 000 people in the streets of Paris than in London. He is just scare and try a ridiculous trick, nobody in France will believe him , especially after more than 15 years of "socialism" ! When Blair will be scare , he will say the same bullshit too, after all it's his job , Blair is the "left" isn't it ?

have something to do with his need to counter what his arch enemy and ace demagogue Chirac had to say.
a short comment on Jospin and his meeting with attac, the latter told him to p*ù$ off when he asked them whether they would supply advisors and even potentially a globalisation minister for his government. Surprising given attac, and some of their Paris dominated conseil d'administration self styled "leaders" of opinion. Many of us thought that one of them could have broken ranks and gone in for a bit of lefty toadying. We'll see what they have to say about this at their summer university in August, in Arles.
Keeping in the French vein, the cabinet advisor to the Right wing President of the French senate was recently on a fact finding tour in the U.S. meeting, inter alia, with people from the IMC in Seattle. Seems like he's getting interested as well.
When asked what he was going to be doing with this
information, he was very explicit in saying quite emphatically that this information was *only* for himself. that he was not preparing any reports or giving any reports to the president of the senate. or anything like that.
Nice work if you can get it...