Brown quashes rumours of Blair link to World Bank job

[struggle4progress]

Source: The Guardian

Ashley Seager in Potsdam
Monday May 21, 2007

Gordon Brown at the weekend quashed speculation that Tony Blair could take over as president of the World Bank when he leaves Downing Street next month.

In his first comments on the departure amid scandal of Paul Wolfowitz from the World Bank job, the chancellor said it was almost certain the next head of the Washington-based bank would be American.

"There is a long history of a European being MD of the IMF and an American nominee being president of the World Bank," he said at a meeting of G8 finance ministers in Germany. ~snip~

Max Lawson of Oxfam said the weakness of the Europeans was disappointing: "The World Bank as an institution is seriously damaged and won't be salvaged by appointing yet another US appointee." ~snip~

Read more: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/tonyblair/story/0,,2084402,00.html

[scarletwoman]

1. Yes. "The World Bank as an institution is seriously damaged and won't be salvaged by appointing yet

another US appointee." And replacing Wolfowitz with Tony Blair would make it abundantly clear that the World Bank exists solely to serve the interests of the international financial elite.

sw

[acmavm]

2. Seriously, don't you think that if's 'abundantly clear' even without old

Poodle becoming the next head of the World Bank?

I'm sure that fact is pretty much understood by all the people who the world bank has shit on. It's not like its known to be a charitable or benevolent organization now, is it?

Someone just as dispicable will get in next.

[scarletwoman]

4. No, I don't think it's universally understood. Of course, the "3rd World" understands...

but I do believe that there's a large class of well-meaning "liberals" who still believe that such institutions may have some inherent goodness -- that with better people in charge, the a priori benevolent World Bank can be put on the correct course.

As Iraq so starkly demonstrates, the notion of "the White Man's Burden" is still thoroughly embedded in the collective Western psyche.

sw

[cliss]

3. I for one vote for Tony "The Poodle"

Blair. I'll even send a letter to the W. Bank confirming my unqualified support for the man.

When they do appoint him, it will become abundantly clear TO ALL that this rotten institution is corrupt beyond repair. It will be the final coffin nail in this "bank".