Thousands of prominent political and business figures are congregating in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, as critics accused them of “centralizing power into the possession of hand-picked global elites.”
Thousands of prominent political and business figures are congregating in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), whose theme, “Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” focuses on the “cost of living crisis.”
In recent years, the WEF and its founder and chairperson, German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab, generated controversy by promoting ideas such as the “The Great Reset” and the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
In promoting ”The Great Reset” in 2020, Schwab said the COVID-19 “pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world.”
The WEF’s 2016 vision for the future — “Welcome to 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better” — has also raised eyebrows.
In its mission statement, the WEF claims “it is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests.”
The statement continues:
“The Forum strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance. Moral and intellectual integrity is at the heart of everything it does.”
However, critics describe the WEF as a “fanatical political organization masquerading as a neutral entity” with the goal of “centralizing power into the possession of hand-picked global elites” and for operating with no public input or accountability.
Some critics argue the WEF’s annual meeting “acts as the go-to in-person, invite-only, closed to ideological outsiders policy and ideas shop for the global ruling class.”
Statements emerging from this year’s meeting have done little to quell concerns about the WEF’s real agenda.
The Defender examines some of the key themes of this year’s meeting — taking place under a militaristic security blanket and amid accusations that participants are not practicing what they preach when it comes to their own behavior.
Key themes this year include “combating misinformation,” promoting “public-private partnerships,” “green” politics, buzzwords such as “DEI,” “resiliency” and “sustainability,” “health security,” and continued digitization via the metaverse and “smart” technologies.
Schwab opines on the importance of ‘mastering the future’
In a press release promoting this year’s WEF meeting, Schwab stated:
“We see the manifold political, economic and social forces creating increased fragmentation on a global and national level. To address the root causes of this erosion of trust, we need to reinforce cooperation between the government and business sectors, creating the conditions for a strong and durable recovery.
“At the same time there must be the recognition that economic development needs to be made more resilient, more sustainable and nobody should be left behind.”
In his opening address, Schwab said that current crises around the world, ranging from COVID-19 to the high cost of living, are “serving as catalytic forces for the economic transformation,” adding that “through collective responsibility, innovation and human goodwill and ingenuity, we have the capacity to turn such challenges into opportunities.”
Schwab asked what it means to “master the future”:
“What does it mean to master the future? I think to have a platform where all stakeholders of society are engaged — governments, business, civil societies, young generation … I think is the first step to meet all the challenges.”
Schwab also used his opening remarks to address criticism levied against the WEF in recent years. However, he said the WEF and its global partners must “overcome” such “negative critical and confrontational attitudes.”
In a blog post, investigative journalist Jordan Schachtel noted that the WEF appears to be “playing defense” in response to the “major headwinds” its “extremist agenda” faces, by claiming that it is the victim of “disinformation campaigns.”
For instance, an Aug. 5, 2022, article in Canada’s The Globe and Mail stated the infamous “own nothing and be happy” quote “sparked a misinformation campaign,” even though Schachtel noted that the phrase originated from the WEF itself. The article containing the quote was written by Adrian Monck, now the WEF’s managing director.
And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently attacked the WEF, remarking that “They run everything and everyone else is basically a serf.”
‘Annual pilgrimage to genuflect to Bill Gates and Klaus Schwab’
The roster of speakers at this year’s WEF meeting represents a…
Read the full story here: Davos: Gates, Schwab, Global Elites Face Growing Criticism of Their ‘Master the Future’ Agenda