Economic crisis could cause ordinary people to rise up

by mtammas | January 31, 2009 at 03:09 pm

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The unequal distribution of wealth has often been at the root of social unrest as the great unwashed rise up against the few who have riches and power.

At the G20 meetings in Davos, Switzerland, France's finance minister, Christine Lagarde, has suggested that unless the world's richest countries move quickly to turnaround the global economic crisis and satisfy "ordinary people", the current situation could lead to social upheaval.

Europe faces the risk of more social unrest unless measures are taken to quickly tackle the global economic crisis, France's finance minister says.

Christine Lagarde said trust in the financial system needed to be restored.

Leaders needed to send a clear, understandable signal to ordinary people about how governments were intending to act, she added.

No strangers to revolution, the French and Russians have already protested against government policies and actions, or lack thereof, that they believe has brought the world to this point. Citizens in Switzerland and Iceland rallied and protested Saturday as leaders grappled with what to do about their countries' - and the world's - dire financial straights.

On Saturday, hundreds of people demonstrated in Geneva and Davos to protest against the World Economic Forum.

Carrying banners reading "you are the crisis" and throwing snowballs at security guards, the demonstrators said those at the forum were not qualified to fix the world's problems.

Governments in France, Russia and Iceland have faced angry protests from citizens upset by their handling of the economic crisis.

French rail and air services were disrupted on Thursday as huge crowds took to the streets.