Theme in Davos: Give a Banker a Break
As global movers and shakers trek to the Swiss Alps for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum -- some of them making the unaccustomed choice to fly on commercial airlines -- conference organizers are asking the rest of the world to give them a break.
Sure, many of the most glamorous guests -- the heads of Citigroup Inc., Bank of America, and UBS AG -- are also among the most culpable for the deepening global economic meltdown.
And sure, there is an urgent need to "rewrite the rules of finance and global business," as Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, said after he arrived in the host town of Davos.
But Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum's founder, is seeking a little compassion for the world's bankers and financiers, which includes more than a few of his still-well-heeled clientele.
"Those people, and there are many of those here, have the feeling they are standing at a cliff and they may fall over at any moment," he said in an interview with the Associated Press.
"But those people are not only part of the problem," he added. "They are part of the solution."
by Mark SteinRelated LinksObama Snubs DavosDissecting the Crisis in DavosGo Tell It on a Swiss Mountain
