The G20 met in St Andrews Saturday, and protesters always follow these meetings. I know some classmates will disagree with me on this issue, but I actually want the 20 most powerful nations (or more, since other organizations send representatives to these meetings) to meet regularly and make decisions that will help solve the world's problems. For instance, this meeting in Scotland dealt with the current economic crisis along with other issues. I'm not sure what other organization can do this effectively and involve so many other nations/regions. I strongly doubt the UN will ever have much success unless the states in the G20 allow it to have success (at which point the G20, not the UN, is more effective).
I also disagree with these protesters. I still believe capitalism and democracy are the best economic and government systems we have. I understand that some nations have trouble implementing these systems, and these structures need routine maintenance and reform. Still, that doesn't mean the West should abandon capitalism and democracy. Last week I read some articles and books by Kenneth Boulding, a Quaker economist who helped start peace and conflict studies. I agree with him when he says the best way to help the poor is not to redistribute wealth but to help the poor become more productive. He also argued that we should remove whatever prevents the poor from becoming more productive.
I still took a few pictures of the protest, which started near the church on South Street:
Start of the protest: From left to right signs say,
"Nae Tae G20" (reference to some Scottish saying),
"Down with the Kleptocracy",
"Capitalism isn't in crisis. Capitalism is Crisis".
The back of the protest, and you can see most of the protesters here.
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