WP: Wolfowitz Closing In On Bank Post

[DeepModem Mom]

Wolfowitz Closing In On Bank Post
Germany Softens Stance As Nominee Woos Others

By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 22, 2005; Page E01


Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz closed in on the presidency of the World Bank yesterday when Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Germany would not try to block Wolfowitz's candidacy.

Schroeder said on German television that President Bush phoned him to discuss the nomination, "and I told him Germany would not stand in his way," according to news service reports. "I even think that people will be positively surprised" by Wolfowitz's leadership at the bank.

The statement virtually extinguished the already-fading chances of a rebellion by other World Bank member nations against Wolfowitz, whose nomination by Bush last week became the focus of controversy because of his role in promoting the invasion of Iraq....

***

Schroeder's comments made it clear that a European-led challenge to Wolfowitz is not in the offing. Although there is still a chance that developing countries could put forward an alternative candidate around whom Wolfowitz's critics could rally, sources at the bank said that board members from developing nations have shown no desire to take such a step....

***

Some European officials have privately voiced disgust that nations such as South Africa and Brazil have refrained from putting forward an alternate candidate, since developing nations have complained loudly about rich countries' control of international financial institutions. But poor countries would be taking an enormous risk in challenging a U.S. candidate for the World Bank presidency, since their opposition might put at risk their prospects for getting loans.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55122-2005Mar21.html

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Of course he'll get it

These pricks get everything they want, and I'll be goddamned if I can understand why.

WHY are they getting along with all this shit?

[blogbear]

3. As Far As Con Artists Go..They take..

the whole cake!

[sally343434]

4. I can think of two possibilities

Given the inaction of any foreign government to actually do or, at least, say something against the brutal lawlessness of the Bush cabal over the past years, I'm beginning to believe that there are two possible explanations:

1. They're all in on "it," whatever that is -- maybe the looting of what's left of the US treasury, the looting of what's left of the world's oil reserves, the delineation of the entire world between those who live in walled compounds (the rich politicians) and those who live in cardboard boxes (everyone else.)

2. They've simply given up on these US-based institutions and decided to just play along while they build a parallel system of governance and support that excludes the US.

[Spazito]

22. If I were a betting person, I would put my money on your #2

There has been an increasing # of trade agreements and new alliances being built in the last 3 months and that is not a coincidence.

[saracat]

6. They won't for long. Read the WP on the liklihood of the judge

reinserting the feeding tub. Zero to none!The judge said the parents lawyer would be "hard pressed to prove anything to him" ! This Judge is allright! They won't win this round. and will look like jackasses. They won't win everything . You watch. The Courts are gonna fight back! And 2006 is coming soon!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. I hope you're right

But I've never known how any judge or jury was going to rule, no matter what they said during the arguments or trial.

I hope you're right.

[saracat]

9. Well, if nothing else, I think it might boil down to self interest. What

judge in his right mind would want to overturn nineteen of his predecessors, and take a slap at the Supreme Court? Scalia and Renquist both do not support this action and both have rulings supporting Michael's position. Scalia today said that this action was wrong. And these are the conservative judges the parents would need on their side. I can't imagine with all the heat on him this judge is going to reinsert the tube. He has already indicated that it will be a long haul before he does so.
He is a Clinton appointee, and doesn't sound enthused by this. I think he will vote his own butt if anything at all. JMHO.

[ananda]

2. gawwdd

Somebody help me here.

What is the true message behind this article? I know I'm missing something.

Was some kind of deal struck? Or is Europe going the way of the corporo-fascist neocons? The signs are certainly there: Schroeder going after pensions; France seeking to lengthen the work week.

The blob is growing.... yikes!

Sue

[Dirk39]

5. No, no, yes...

Hello from Germany: you're right about the general "neoliberal" direction, but not about the Neocons.

But IMHO you're one of the few Americans, who don't have illusions about Europe and you're right to connect Schroeders attitude towards Wolfowitz with his economic agenda as much as you're right about France.

About 6 of the most important NGO's in Germany did write an open letter to Schröder today, demanding him to do everything he can to prevent Wolfowitz from becoming the president of the worldbank.

http://www.attac.de/neuigkeiten/brief_an_bundeskanzler.pdf


There's a general problem with the worldbank and the IMF: many of the poorest in the ghetto's of the world's most poorest countries might rather now the names of the presidents of the Worldbank and the IMF, but in the so-called developped countries, people don't know anything at all about these organisations.

Even many DUers might still think the Worldbank's purpose is to help the poor.

They are the major force in destroying national economies, destroying welfare-states, destroying public goods and hijacking whole countries and governments, in order to turn them into a paradise for multinational corporations.

Dirk

[OldLeftieLawyer]

8. Wolfowitz is custom-made for the World Bank

And the scenario you paint here is, sadly, my experience of how the WB operates now.

No one cares about the poor. Witness Rwanda, the Sudan. No one cares.

[Dirk39]

11. It is...

When the Worldbank and the IMF started to reorganize what was left of the Soviet-Union, the live-expectancy rate dropped down 5 years. 5 years. And these statistics don't make a difference between the wealthy and the poor. There are no classes in the free free free market world.
5 years of live lost on average for every russian citizen.
And then there was Wolfowitz.

Witz in german means joke.

Dirk

[DeepModem Mom]

20. Thanks for posting your view from Germany, Dirk!

[hector459]

10. He'll be the biggest "Economic Hit Man" we've had.

The neocon will truly control the world.

[Rex]

12. The Germans

have no problems with Bush screwing something else up. It just weakens America as a superpower and that can only benefit the EU.

[Dirk39]

13. I just hope you're right...

but I guess, it will not weaken America, it will benefit U.S. corporations as it will benefit European corporations - hard to make a difference at all: most of them are U.S. corporations in the USA and european corporations in Europe. The scum of the earth is as multilateral and non-nationalist as liberals, progressive people and leftists might just dream off.

It might weaken the U.S. citizens, it might weaken the U.S. middle class, not to mention the unemployed and those, who still have jobs, but struggle to survive.

There is no frontier between the USA and Europe or Asia or Russia.

There's a class-struggle between the rich and the poor. And Wolfowitz knows his clients and he will manage to satisfy all of his customers.
Don't call me communist or call me a communist, but this "class-struggle" was started by the rich. Reagan and Thatcher did start it.
It's their bank. Their Worldbank. It's the corporatist's manifest: Workers and Oppressed Masses of the World,Unite! Sorry: Corporations and Oppressors of the world: Unite! You have nothing to gain but more profits! Kill the poor!
Dirk

[psychopomp]

15. Thanks for your comments, Dirk

Too down right now to comment further on this development (poor choice of words, I know).

[malmapus]

14. Somehow I'm seeing "World Bank Files for Bankrupcy" as a future headline

eom

[Dirk39]

16. Please do me favour:

Compare Bush's "social security" reform to what the Worldbank and the IMF did to "help" the poor during the last 3 decades. Maybe google "Worldbank" and "restructuring" and then add every word you like, like "healtcare" etc.

They did never help the poor. Whatever they did failed miserably, but they are still doing it.
They are the Stalinists of capitalism: the more they "fail" - if we suppose they really wanted to help the poor, I don't - , the more they follow the same route and it's just going worse and worse and worse - for the poor.

If a nasty cynical leftist like me would suppose, the agenda of the Worldbank and the IMF was to make sure, that the wealthy get more money and the poor will suffer more: they are among the most succesfull enterprises in the history of mankind. And I'm a nasty cynical leftist.
Now it's your turn to prove me wrong.

Dirk

[Iterate]

17. Germany accepts Wolfowitz as World Bank head

This seals it. From Reuters. I know this is newsy enough to have it's own thread, but I can't quite bring myself to do it.

The next thing to do is probably to try to anticipate how he will use the WB in his PNAC plan.


http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-03-21T180244Z_01_CHA164895_RTRUKOC_0_EU-WORLDBANK-SUCCESSION.xml

[Dirk39]

18. Scheisse, Scheisse, Scheisse

"I don't think we should be prejudiced about people. I believe you should decide based on their programmes, their aims and their ability to achieve those aims,"
(your link)

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a news conference.

I feel like 193*, when Germany under Hitler did organize the Olymic Games: I don't think we should be prejudiced about Racists and Fashists as long as they guarantee the most profits for the most corrupt corporations on this planet. Give the scum of the earth a try. Maybe we will be surprised one day, and they kill more brown people and even kill more poor white people than we ever expected them to do, to protect freedom, liberty, democracy, blablabla. Bla, bla, blablablablablablablwa-

Whatever you want them to....

It's funny, when the wealthy radical minority and their whores, who rule this planet call for tolerance among one another. It has nothing to do with us. That's for sure.

Dirk

[Iterate]

19. Und Scheisse...

and that seems to be the my best German phrase lately.

I know that most Americans, even activists, have only the vaguest notion of what the MB/IMF do. I suppose the same thing could be said about most Europeans. I'm thinking about writing something explanatory for the general forum later on. I'll let you know when I do.

I'm not surprised at all about this, but my friends will attest that I habitually hold out naive notions about things like maybe Schröder holding out on this one. Christ he knew a month ago. At least.

Anyway, I was wondering about a different kind of EU/US political collaboration, the progressive left kind, citizens/expats/renegades, and was wondering if you knew of any groups focused on spanning the Atlantic. Or Pacific. News, knowledge, expertise, projects, legal aid. That kind of thing. If there isn’t one, we’ll make one.

[DeepModem Mom]

21. Thanks for posting another view from Germany, mainz_68!

[salin]

23. They are determined to leave a major imprint

across the globe. Historic texts on this era will be interesting reads... just hope the damage isn't so vast that the historic era (from damage to correction) doesnt stretch past our life times.