Who runs the world?

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11664289

by robg • 18 years ago

15 13 18 years ago

economist.com

mattmaroon• 18 years ago

The freemasons.

omouse• 18 years ago

Very possible. Have you seen the list of famous Freemasons? Some crazy influential people there!

ahold• 18 years ago

The Jews.

xlnt4• 18 years ago

anti-semitism isn't funny because it's still killing people.

echair• 18 years ago

It's a bit much to jump on someone for giving a frivolous answer when you've posted 2 on this thread yourself.

xlnt4• 18 years ago

America

xlnt4• 18 years ago

nazgulnarsil2• 18 years ago

if computer scientists were in charge things would be nearly so fucked up.

tx• 18 years ago

I like the bias of the article that becomes apparent from the beginning: "Leaders of seven of the world’s richest democracies, plus oil-and gas-fired Russia"

First, these "richest seven" aren't really the richest if judged by their GDPs, even among democracies. Second, there was no need to put Russia into special case: it also is a capitalism-fueled democracy (despite media's preference to suggest otherwise) and their GDP is bigger than Italy, UK and France.

And finally, this G8 thing makes no sense without India and China in it, both are nuclear powers with economies that are in top 5 largest.

ardit33• 18 years ago

maybe it is a mix between GDP and GDP per capita, and sheer product output.

If you count GDP per capita, then Qatar should be there, but honeslty they are not an industialized country, they just have oil.

So, if you count by GDP, then china, should be there, but it can barely feed its own people and its GDP per capita is in 100th place. Heck even my country is better than China.

I am not sure what the exact formula is, but I bet is it is a combination of

GDP, GNP, PPP(GDP per capita), and Nuclear Capability

Like every velvet club, if you don't care about it, than it doesn't matter. Actually if you are cool enough, then you can open your own club, and the other people will start comming to you. China would be smart to create some kind of economic bllock in east and south-east asia, to give it even more clout. But other countries just don't trust them that much.

nazgulnarsil2• 18 years ago

people constantly ask this question because the idea that no one is running things is too scary to contemplate. this is the reason for both organized religion and conspiracy theories.

eyudkowsky• 18 years ago

The Conspiracy

Who runs the world?

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