Max Keiser at the G8

Keiser Report: Life in Open Air Prison

In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert report from Belfast on location at the G8 and anti-G8 meetings. They juxtapose the protests in China where thousands wait in line to buy gold to protect against G8-style inflationary policies to the less effective protests in Belfast where placards are waved in 'free speech zones;' while, in Westminster, secret proposals are drafted by Rothschilds to retroactively raise interest rates on $40 billion in outstanding student loan debts. The plan is suggested in order to make the debt more attractive to private investors. 

In the second half, Max talks to independent journalist, Luke Rudkowski, about fake shopfronts in Belfast meant to disguise the true state of the economy and about the few protesters demanding communism and socialism when that's part of the reason our financial and economic systems have collapsed.

The G8

G8 Run-Up: Cameron backs Syria rebels, Putin warns of extremist ranks

Syria dominated talks between Russia's President and British Prime Minister in London where they met ahead of the G8 Summit. The two leaders said they shared common ground on the need for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. RT's Polly Boiko reports from the British capital. Also, Mark Almond, a professor of international relations, joins RT studio to discuss the exchange on Syria between the Russian and British leaders.

Obama and Putin at odds over Syria after cool exchange at G8 summit

US president says talks 'very useful' but Russia admits 'our opinions do not coincide' as pair look to end conflict in Syria

the Guardian,

17 June, 2013

Prospects of agreement between Moscow and Washington on how to end the war in Syria looked as remote as ever on Monday after a chilly bilateral meeting between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin ended with a stiff exchange of diplomatic pleasantries.

President Obama said the talks, on the fringes of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, had been "very useful", but both sides acknowledged disagreements over whether President Assad should step down and if rebel groups should receive arms from the west.

President Putin agreed that Russia and the US would continue to push the warring parties in Syria to the negotiating table.

"Of course, our opinions do not coincide," said Putin. "But all of us have the intention to stop the violence in Syria, to stop the growth of victims, and to solve the situation peacefully, including by bringing the parties to the negotiations table in Geneva."

Russia's failure to respond positively to US claims of chemical weapons use in Syria and its hostile response to Obama's plan to give military support to rebel groups means the two leaders remain deeply divided.

Speaking after the meeting, Obama said: "With respect to Syria, we do have differing perspectives on the problem, but we share an interest in reducing the violence; securing chemical weapons and ensuring that they're neither used nor are they subject to proliferation; and that we want to try to resolve the issue through political means, if possible."

It had been hoped the meeting might be an opportunity to "reset" deteriorating relations between Moscow and Washington, but the gulf of opinion on Syria, and Russian anger over recent US surveillance revelations, was followed by noticeably stiff body language between the two leaders.

Both countries concluded the bilateral by issuing a joint statement reaffirming "their readiness to intensify bilateral cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, and genuine respect for each other's interests".

They also announced plans for a cold war style hotline to deal with any outbreak of cyber attacks. It would "create a mechanism for information sharing in order to better protect critical information systems, we have established a communication channel and information sharing arrangements between our computer emergency response teams," said the joint statement.

During an similarly icy press conference with David Cameron at Downing Street on Sunday night, Putin criticised US plans to give military support to the rebels.

"You will not deny that one does not really need to support the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies, eat their intestines in front of the public and cameras," said Putin. "Are these the people you want to support? Is it them who you want to supply with weapons? Then this probably has little relation to humanitarian values that have been preached in Europe for hundreds of years."

However, Britain and the US believe it is still possible to press Putin to agree to some joint principles on Syria and so open the way for a second peace conference in Geneva, possibly in July.

"This is a potentially clarifying moment on Syria: a moment to search out whether there is common ground, and the basis for a political settlement," British officials said at the summit.

Their Syrian plan includes improved humanitarian assistance and access within Syria; tackling jihadist extremism within the rebel movement; and an acknowledgment that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable – ideally coupled with agreement that these have been deployed by the Assad regime. The plan also proposes "day one planning" for a new Syrian regime and finally transition to a new government with executive authority.

However, Putin has insisted that Assad is the legitimate leader of the Syrian regime, although he is likely to find himself isolated in that view at the G8. Some diplomatic sources were suggesting the seven other members of the G8 – including Germany, France, Japan, Italy and Canada – will put out their own communiqué today if the Russian leader refuses to acknowledge that Assad has to abandon leadership.

The future of Assad was the single biggest stumbling block to an agreement at the initial Geneva peace conference held last year.

In a sign of the tensions, the French president, François Hollande, criticised Russia for sending weapons to Assad's forces and considering deliveries of a sophisticated missile system. "How can we allow that Russia continues to deliver arms to the Assad regime when the opposition receives very few – and is being massacred?" he said.

Assad warned that Europe will pay the price if it delivers arms to the rebels. "If the Europeans deliver weapons, the backyard of Europe will become terrorist, and Europe will pay the price for it," he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

G8 leaders agree to pretend

Lets all pretend that everything is all right – all we need is a little growth!

G8 leaders seek growth and urge Greece to keep euro

G8 LEADERS pushed for Greece to stay in the euro area and supported boosting growth, even as an increasingly isolated Germany said Europe could not spend its way out of the debt crisis

the Age,

21 May, 2012

Faced with differences between Europe and the US, and among European governments over the crisis response, the eight leading industrial economies admitted at President Barack Obama's Camp David retreat outside Washington ''that the right measures are not the same for each of us''.

''We agree on the importance of a strong and cohesive eurozone for global stability and recovery, and we affirm our interest in Greece remaining in the eurozone while respecting its commitments,'' the leaders' statement said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on the spot at the Camp David summit as she faced growing pressure to shift her austerity-first approach after three years of a prolonged crisis that is affecting financial markets.

French President Francois Hollande found an ally in Mr Obama for his resistance to the German-led drive for balanced budget and debt reduction, which have set off a political and popular revolt against austerity in Greece.

''The direction the debate has taken recently should give us confidence,'' Mr Obama said. ''Europe has taken significant steps to manage the crisis. And there's now an emerging consensus that more must be done to promote growth and job creation right now in the context of these fiscal and structural reforms.''

Dr Merkel, whose crisis policy has helped keep her Germany's most popular politician ahead of elections next year, sought to draw a line in the sand. Referring to public spending to counter the financial crisis that broke out in 2008, she said: ''Everyone agreed that these kinds of stimulus program can't be repeated right now.''

Curbing public deficits and boosting growth ''are two sides of the same coin'' and ''shouldn't be played off against each other'', she said.

Dr Merkel came to the summit as the European leader who had demanded austerity as the most important step towards easing the eurozone's debt crisis. But the election of Socialist Francois Hollande as president of France, and Greek elections that created political chaos in the country, were clear rejections of the belt-tightening Dr Merkel represented.

Dr Merkel said growth and deficit-cutting reinforced each other and that everyone around the table agreed. ''That is great progress,'' she said.

As for promoting growth, she said investments under consideration included research and development, internet networks and infrastructure. But she said:

''This doesn't mean stimulus in the usual sense.'' Mr Hollande said he put forward France's objective to put growth ''at the heart'' of the discussions.

The threat of a Greek exit from the 17-nation euro economy loomed over a gathering of some of the world's most influential leaders discussing ways out of the revived debt crisis.