The appointment of Wolfowitz to head the World Bank and Karen

[KlatooBNikto]

Hughes'nomination as Ambassador are part of Bush's global strategy to use money and muscle to achieve his aims.In effect, he is going to use the World Bank to promote American interests;this will mean those capitulate to his threats will be rewarded.Those who stand up will be punished.Tom DeLay ,the domestic capo was very good at this game.Now it is the turn of the international capos, Wolfowitz and Hughes to do in the foreign nations Bush sees as resistant.Venezuela comes to mind.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. How long before the world decides

not to play Bush's game? I could see other nations deciding the US has become a dangerous rogue state and decide to opt out of institutions like the World Bank and creating their own, without US involvement.

[izzie]

5. I think it has already and Bush does not know it.

Look what is going on in the world. I think you will find it is moving right along with out us. It is like they are moving right around us and Bush is not even there. When Fr. said they would help us with one man and he would stay on Eur. it looked to me like a snub or all times and Bush did not seem to see it. Look how no one came out to see him in Europe. Bush and his bubble are getting to be a joke.I am not sure Bush and Co can see this.

[asthmaticeog]

2. Did I miss something?

WAS Wolfowitz appointed? I thought he'd merely been nominated. If he's been appointed, DAMN, that was quick.

[KlatooBNikto]

3. Sorry my bad.I should have said nominated.

[Crankie Avalon]

4. You would be interested by...

"Confessions of an Economic Hitman" by Perkins, if you haven't already read it.

He says the World Bank always has been--long before Shrub and Wolfowitz--a scam to get underdeveloped countries so in debt that they will never be able to repay. When they inevitably have to default on loans, America marches in and confiscates the countries natural resources, the way creditors liquidate the assets of small businesses that have to declare bankruptcy. These dependent, indentured countries then also have to back up the U.S. in the UN World Court and other venues of that nature, no matter how unjust the U.S. position might be. So, if you believe Perkins, Wolfowitz's choice is no real surprise and will just continue a policy that has always been in play.

As for Chavez in Venezuela, unfortunately Chavez may be assassinated through U.S./CIA machinations any month now, the way Mossadeq in Iran and Omar Torriros (sp?) in Panama were. Again, if you believe Perkins, leaders of small countries who put what is best for their own people over what is convenient for elite U.S. interests often end up getting taken out and replaced with more compliant tools.

[penpal7]

6. with our deficit we will be going to the world bank ourselves so

you might as well have a bush friend there, and who better than one of the people who brought you favorites such as the missing weapons of mass destruction and 9 billion gone missing in iraq.

[KlatooBNikto]

7. I wonder, after reading your post, whether, Bush wants to dip his dirty

hands into the cookie jar at the World Bank, to finance some more wars?

[applegrove]

8. I read somewhere than the whole UN budget was something like

10 Billion a year or so. I mean... how could the UN accomplish anything with that paltry sum. Look at what Bush pretends the cost of Iraq is every year: $81 Billion.

The UN in underfunded totally and then the neocons hold it up as something that is in-effective. ***holes. I am sure Wolfie will have some lovely 'structural changes' for the WB.

Fortunately, in the next 20 years... other nations will be bigger and richer than the UN. So the UN can grow in power & strength without the US.