George Monbiot (Guardian Utd): I'm with Wolfowitz

From the Guardian Unlimited
Dated TGuesday April 5

I'm with Wolfowitz
Liberal handwringing over the World Bank simply reflects a failure to recognise the role it exists to fulfil
By George Monbiot

It's about as close to consensus as the left is ever likely to come. Everyone this side of Atilla the Hun and the Wall Street Journal agrees that Paul Wolfowitz's appointment as president of the World Bank is a catastrophe. Except me.

Under Wolfowitz, my fellow progressives lament, the World Bank will work for America. If only someone else were chosen, it would work for the world's poor. Joseph Stiglitz, the bank's renegade former chief economist, champions Ernesto Zedillo, a former president of Mexico. A Guardian leading article suggested Colin Powell or, had he been allowed to stand, Bono. But what all this hand-wringing reveals is a profound misconception about the role and purpose of the body Wolfowitz will run . . . .

Wolfowitz's appointment is a good thing for three reasons. It highlights the profoundly unfair and undemocratic nature of decision-making at the bank. His presidency will stand as a constant reminder that this institution, which calls on the nations it bullies to exercise "good governance and democratisation" is run like a medieval monarchy.

It also demolishes the hopeless re formism of men such as Stiglitz and George Soros who, blithely ignoring the fact that the US can veto any attempt to challenge its veto, keep waving their wands in the expectation that a body designed to project US power can be magically transformed into a body that works for the poor. Had Stiglitz's attempt to tinker with the presidency succeeded, it would simply have lent credibility to an illegitimate institution, enhancing its powers. With Wolfowitz in charge, its credibility plummets.

Best of all is the chance that the neocons might just be stupid enough to use the new wolf to blow the bank down.

The title seems outlandish, coming from Monbiot. But read on.

I believe one of the shortcomings in left analysis is the "These people are so screwed up and are messing everything up" kind of critique of the Corpro-Fascists. No, these robber barons are doing it just like they want it to be done and the disguise is just thinner with the Neo-cons than it is with the Neo-libs.

Imperialism in Khaki Pants

Capitalism pyramid?

M

Without even reading the rest of it.

and Jack Rabit.

The appointment of Wolfowitz will remind everyone that all nations are equal, just some are MORE equal than others.

At first I thought old Monbiot had lost his mind, but after reading the article I must say I agree with him. Wolfie, bring it on.

I was flabbergasted when I read the title, but after reading the article, Monbiot makes some very valid arguments.