Comments on: The Bloated G20 Hits Toronto http://www.frumforum.com/the-bloated-g20-hits-toronto Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: sinz54 http://www.frumforum.com/the-bloated-g20-hits-toronto/comment-page-1#comment-116646 sinz54 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:54:12 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=34542#comment-116646 Frum: <blockquote> Couldn’t the G20 meet by teleconference? </blockquote> No. Negotiation is often a personal contact sport. You can tell a lot about a person from the way they look, the way they act, even the way they smell. The rituals of cocktails and dinner give off subtle signals. When the U.S. negotiates with a foreign power, it's very much like a man and woman on a date: They're feeling each other out (initially not literally!), trying to figure out if it's worth continuing the relationship. And so far at least, dating isn't done best by videoconference. Frum: Couldn’t the G20 meet by teleconference?
No.

Negotiation is often a personal contact sport. You can tell a lot about a person from the way they look, the way they act, even the way they smell. The rituals of cocktails and dinner give off subtle signals.

When the U.S. negotiates with a foreign power, it’s very much like a man and woman on a date: They’re feeling each other out (initially not literally!), trying to figure out if it’s worth continuing the relationship.

And so far at least, dating isn’t done best by videoconference.

]]> By: Carney http://www.frumforum.com/the-bloated-g20-hits-toronto/comment-page-1#comment-116531 Carney Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:27:16 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=34542#comment-116531 Don't blame the G20 for the steel fencing and police; blame the "anti-capitalist", anarchist, and other enemies of sanity and civilization who like to go on the rampage. Don’t blame the G20 for the steel fencing and police; blame the “anti-capitalist”, anarchist, and other enemies of sanity and civilization who like to go on the rampage.

]]> By: wierz http://www.frumforum.com/the-bloated-g20-hits-toronto/comment-page-1#comment-116505 wierz Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:31:13 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=34542#comment-116505 World leaders can call each other up for informal discussions whenever they please. It's not like Obama is some wilting flower who needs to wait demurely for some official function as pretext to speak to another head of state. Telephones exist. The G20 is indeed an abomination, however. I was walking through downtown Toronto last weekend, and the steel fencing and masses of idle police were stifling and offensive. Besides, it's running the Jays out of town to Philly this weekend, which means we won't get to see Halladay pitch again until at least next season, barring a World Series meeting. Bastards. World leaders can call each other up for informal discussions whenever they please. It’s not like Obama is some wilting flower who needs to wait demurely for some official function as pretext to speak to another head of state. Telephones exist.

The G20 is indeed an abomination, however. I was walking through downtown Toronto last weekend, and the steel fencing and masses of idle police were stifling and offensive. Besides, it’s running the Jays out of town to Philly this weekend, which means we won’t get to see Halladay pitch again until at least next season, barring a World Series meeting. Bastards.

]]>