World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

The World Economic Forum is probably one of the most powerful designers of world destiny, and yet few Americans tend to engage with what his happening in this small resort in the Swiss Alps. For years, many of the major economic decisions of the world, including many of the free trade decisions that affect our lives have been made here (such as the decision to engage in the NAFTA). Our course begins with the smallest unit of human group organization in the hunting and gathering kin groups that transition to cities or nomadic tribes.

Looking more than 7,000 years into the present, is this single meeting (that the Times of London calls a "beanfest of pomp and platitude") a sign that society has "evolved" into something greater such as a world body of mutually respectful humanity, or is it a sign that society has essentially remained the same - with the increase in commerce we see a small cadre of economic elite attempting to dominate society through meetings in resort towns?