Recently, Russian Envoy Kirill Dmitriev tweeted that “Davos’s reputation is so tainted” going on to suggest moving the key meeting spot of international business discussion to the yearly St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia.

Well the man does have a point here, but we could examine this a bit further. Why is it that all major international meetings of big Western money are surrounded by nothing but a massive soup of justified conspiracy theories? The mere mention of words like “Davos”, “Bilderberg”, or “The G7” spark the minds of politically conscious individuals filling them with nothing but utter skepticism and disgust. This is especially true after the release of the Epstein files which has “connected the dots” so to speak between the attendees of these events and the utter horrors that occured on that island.

In contrast, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is quite the opposite. Yes it is a VIP only event, but journalists and other people of average incomes (myself included) can and do attend. The venue is transparent and despite the undertaking being filled to the brim with billionaires from across the globe it doesn’t stink of some malthusian or robber-baron agenda. Quite to the contrary it presents a feeling of economic optimism and partnership.

Perhaps, any major event could attract protestors, but the SPIEF doesn’t seem to ignite that sense of disgust that these other events do. In fact, it is quite the opposite, it fills the Russian public with a sense of pride to have such a massive event showcasing interest in the Russian economy from all over the world. Especially after “sanctions”, it is very reassuring to see the top brass from China, India, Iran, and the rest of the Global South all gleefully signing big deals with Russian businesses completely out in the open exposed to the light of day and the media’s cameras.

Going forward we should take Mr. Dmitriev’s advice and promote the SPIEF as the anti-Davos, as an event that shows the good side of international business, the side that works like a rising tide “raising all ships” and not something that is vampiric and predatory. If the SPIEF positions itself as “global big money but with moral responsibility” it will become even more significant in the near future.