Controlling Finance Markets - Can the G-20 Summit Succeed? The collapse of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers a year ago triggered one of the worst ever global financial and economic crises. One bank after another went bankrupt. A total collapse of the financial markets was only averted thanks to the determination of many governments and central banks. Billions of taxpayer money was spent to rescue banks and companies. The global economy has yet to recover from the crash.   Governments around the world swore something like this should never happen again. Many called for a crackdown on the risk-taking mentality in the markets, against wrecklessness and greed. But so far nothing has happened. Major banks around the world are carrying on with business as usual. Many bank managers are granting themselves large bonuses as if nothing had happened. Politicians are shocked and angered over the state of things. The world’s 20 largest industrialized countries aim to finally establish new rules to govern the markets. At the G-20 summit, the United States, France, Germany and the Netherlands are planning to push for an international oversight system, and to limit bonus payments for bankers. They will have to assert themselves against countries such as Great Britain, who believe such measures go too far. What's your opinion: Controlling Finance Markets - Can the G-20 Summit Succeed? Write us at: quadriga@dw-world.de ----------------------------------------------------------- Our guests were: Friedrich Thelen - After earning his doctorate in law, in 1975 he took on the post of director at the German Development Service. Friedrich Thelen then worked as a journalist for the leading weekly newspaper "Die Zeit". In 1978 he switched to the business weekly "Wirtschaftswoche", where he began his career as the magazine's Bonn correspondent and bureau chief. Later he became the bureau chief of Wirtschaftswoche's Berlin office. Shogo Akagawa – Born in Tokyo in 19...