Up in Davos

IF it’s the last week in January, it must be the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum. And so it is. The “global elites,” as they’re called, have gathered in this Alpine hamlet. Among them are heads of state, foreign ministers, finance ministers, the stray movie star or athlete. There’s Pelé, the soccer legend, and Monica Seles, the tennis legend (though half Pelé’s age). There’s also Muhammad Ali, incredibly dignified in his affliction. Passing over the movie stars, how about the heads of state? Musharraf of Pakistan is here; so is Karzai of Afghanistan. They are neighbors on very hot seats. President Bush isn’t here-he has never come-and neither is Vice President Cheney. (He came two years ago, and was respectfully-if not rhapsodically-received.) But the administration is not without representation. We have Robert Zoellick, the deputy secretary of state, and Michael Chertoff, the secretary of homeland security. And, oh, yes—Condi. Condi is here. But only by video hookup, not in the flesh. I also must mention Kofi Annan, because he swans around like an emperor. His entourage disrupts things wherever they go. This is notable, because it is unusual in Davos: This is a place where you bump into world leaders all the time-I mean, literally, in hallways, staircases, lobbies. But the secretary general of the U.N. moves amid a small army. At one point, I sort of get in the way of this army, and I’m pushed aside by an enormous bodyguard. It’s like I’m made of Kleenex or something. To add insult to injury, the bodyguard is . . . a woman. Huge, hulking—maybe the largest woman I have ever seen. Not fat and not unattractive, but just . . . big. In any case, Annan is a royal presence at the Annual Meeting (and there’s plenty of real royalty here, too!). The endless corruption around him seems not to have made a dent-not in these parts. I should probably say something about the businessmen, for the World Economic Forum-as its name may suggest-started out as a fairly modest business club, before it morphed into an all-encompassing behemoth. Bill Gates is here, sort of the leader of the pack, and that Texas upstart, Michael Dell. Also George Soros-though it’s tough to tell whether he’s more a businessworld figure or a political one. Probably more the latter, by this time. And then there’s Richard Branson-Sir Richard Branson, actually: playboy, adventurer, genius entrepreneur. Evidently, he pals around with Clinton (Bill, not Hillary), and they strike me as a pair made in heaven.

Every year, the Annual Meeting has a theme, and some subthemes as well. Among the subthemes for 2006 are the emergence of China and the emergence of India. There is a robust presence from each country. Pity there’s no presence from Taiwan, a free China, a plucky, endangered democracy. But there are protesters on the fringes of Davos, and not the usual, anti-globalization protesters, either: These are anti-Communist Chinese, raising banners, and raising quiet, civilized hell. The sight of such protesters does a heart much good.

About the Author

Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger was a senior editor of National Review and a book fellow at National Review Institute.

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IF it’s the last week in January, it must be the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum. And so it is. The “global elites,” as they’re called, have gathered in this Alpine hamlet. Among them are heads of state, foreign ministers, finance ministers, the stray movie star or athlete. There’s Pelé, the soccer legend, and Monica Seles, the tennis legend (though half Pelé’s age). There’s also Muhammad Ali, incredibly dignified in his affliction. Passing over the movie stars, how about the heads of state? Musharraf of Pakistan is here; so is Karzai of Afghanistan. They are neighbors on very hot seats. President Bush isn’t here-he has never come-and neither is Vice President Cheney. (He came two years ago, and was respectfully-if not rhapsodically-received.) But the administration is not without representation. We have Robert Zoellick, the deputy secretary of state, and Michael Chertoff, the secretary of homeland security. And, oh, yes—Condi. Condi is here. But only by video hookup, not in the flesh. I also must mention Kofi Annan, because he swans around like an emperor. His entourage disrupts things wherever they go. This is notable, because it is unusual in Davos: This is a place where you bump into world leaders all the time-I mean, literally, in hallways, staircases, lobbies. But the secretary general of the U.N. moves amid a small army. At one point, I sort of get in the way of this army, and I’m pushed aside by an enormous bodyguard. It’s like I’m made of Kleenex or something. To add insult to injury, the bodyguard is . . . a woman. Huge, hulking—maybe the largest woman I have ever seen. Not fat and not unattractive, but just . . . big. In any case, Annan is a royal presence at the Annual Meeting (and there’s plenty of real royalty here, too!). The endless corruption around him seems not to have made a dent-not in these parts. I should probably say something about the businessmen, for the World Economic Forum-as its name may suggest-started out as a fairly modest business club, before it morphed into an all-encompassing behemoth. Bill Gates is here, sort of the leader of the pack, and that Texas upstart, Michael Dell. Also George Soros-though it’s tough to tell whether he’s more a businessworld figure or a political one. Probably more the latter, by this time. And then there’s Richard Branson-Sir Richard Branson, actually: playboy, adventurer, genius entrepreneur. Evidently, he pals around with Clinton (Bill, not Hillary), and they strike me as a pair made in heaven.

Every year, the Annual Meeting has a theme, and some subthemes as well. Among the subthemes for 2006 are the emergence of China and the emergence of India. There is a robust presence from each country. Pity there’s no presence from Taiwan, a free China, a plucky, endangered democracy. But there are protesters on the fringes of Davos, and not the usual, anti-globalization protesters, either: These are anti-Communist Chinese, raising banners, and raising quiet, civilized hell. The sight of such protesters does a heart much good.