It's looking more and more like Paul Wolfowitz is out as president of the World Bank. (I'm writing this around 6:00 a.m. EST.) And I have to say I'm a little disappointed.
I don't know much about his tenure at the Bank, as I have no patience for bureaucratic institutions, but based solely on the criticisms that have driven him out, I think it's too bad.
Wolfowitz' critics, to me, fell into two camps: 1) the left who already hated him for his role in the Bush administration, and 2) the entrenched bureaucrats at the World Bank. Considering that the first group focused all their complaints on the Razi affair and his actions prior to going to the World Bank, I felt fairly comfortable about dismissing them. As for the second, they could easily be dismissed as trying to defend their corrupt little sinecures.
On the other hand, Wolfowitz counted among his supporters many leaders from nations for whose benefit the Bank is supposed to work. Several African nations praised his efforts at ending corruption and making sure that aid money actually went to aid people.
And the charges about nepotism were, at worst, arguable. Documents showed that Wolfowitz had made a good-faith effort to play by the rules, while his detractors waged a war of slanted leaks and circumvented the Bank's own personnel rules to oust him.
Congratulations, folks. You slew your bete noire and Wolfowitz is leaving. But a lot of people will be watching to see who takes his place -- and I will be gravely disappointed if those who cheer his ouster don't insist on the same ethical standards on his successor -- and the rest of the Bank.
But I won't be surprised. The whole mess was not about the Bank, but about "punishing" Wolfowitz. If he's succeeded by someone far more to the liking of the corrupt bureaucrats there, and business goes back to normal, it will largely go unnoted by those who howled about Wolfowitz' "corruption."
Comments (73)
He made a good faith effort... (Below threshold)1. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 11:09 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
He made a good faith effort not to be crook? I love the way the bar gets lowered each time someone on the left has to quit due to a scandal. What are you going to say when Gonzo quits? For an imbecile his heart was in a good place? What will bush do now, replace Wolfoquits with Gonzocile?
1. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 11:09 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:09
2. Posted by BillyBob | May 18, 2007 11:10 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Rumor has it Coffee Annon is up for the job. He should be pretty good at it based on his experience. His first hire will be Kojo Annan.
2. Posted by BillyBob | May 18, 2007 11:10 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:10
3. Posted by MikeNC | May 18, 2007 11:26 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Jay, I think that John Bolton would be a good replacement. He is an honest man, not afraid to fight the corruption, and as a bonus the left would go absolutely nuts!
3. Posted by MikeNC | May 18, 2007 11:26 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:26
4. Posted by OrgleFan | May 18, 2007 11:27 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I nominate John Bolton. Nothing puts bureacrats and kleptocrats in their like pure stache power. Long live StacheMan!
4. Posted by OrgleFan | May 18, 2007 11:27 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:27
5. Posted by jdavenport | May 18, 2007 11:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Jay Tea: "sinecures"
Oooh, good word. I had to pull out the dictionary. Embarassing, yes, but then its good to learn.
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The left has some good points on the problems of the World Bank and WTO. The right has equally good points on the problems of the U.N.
Too bad both sides defend their own preference. The UN and World Bank are an international racket. Wolfowitz is under attack because he actually tried to clean it up a bit. Nothing more. Same with Bolton.
What do you think of that assessment, BarneyG2000?
Really, I'm interested in your opinion. Aren't we both covering for the other side elite ineptitude, while they trounce around crushing the innocent?
5. Posted by jdavenport | May 18, 2007 11:29 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:29
6. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 11:32 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Wolfowitz and Bolton both had meteoric careers which blazed out in a glare of exposition of the corruption of the UN and the World Bank. They are pioneers.
Paul probably caved when he realized that his opponents had to give up the choice of his successor, and cede it to Bush. The fact is that the American money in the Bank is tired of the corruption; the European money is not. American money will leave eventually if the corruption continues, so it kind of doesn't matter. I was amused that Paul's opponents finally made it explicit that this was about Paul's involvement in the run-up to Iraq. Here's the irony; that wouldn't have bothered them at all if he hadn't started cleaning up the corruption.
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6. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 11:32 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:32
7. Posted by Uncle Pinky | May 18, 2007 11:37 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Drudge is reporting that Tony Blair is being bruited about as a replacement. I have my doubts, but am looking forward to reactions.
7. Posted by Uncle Pinky | May 18, 2007 11:37 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:37
8. Posted by Scrapiron | May 18, 2007 11:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Not to worry, Soros and moveon will appoint the next president of the world bank and the United States. Dhimmi's have sold out to everyone with a dollar.
Everyone should go to Dr Sanity's blog and read the 'true' meaning of BDS. It is and will remain a mental illness. Will the dhimmi's leave enough money in the SS system to pay millios of other dhimmi's who will forever suffer a mental (BDS) disability? Just like the democrats support for the terrorist, they will not go away when you wish for it but will kill democrats as well as anyone in their way, and the mental illness BDS will not go away because you wish it to.
Liberalism truly is a mental illness.
If anyone is worried about the violence in Iraq they can now forget it and worry about two blue states. Pa and Maryland are now under siege and will soon fall to the criminal element. Phillie and Baltimore are considering 'martial law' type operations. Closing down areas in a city and limiting the number of people allowed on the streets. Isn't that what we know as full blown communism?
I love the result of the last election. It sure has brought the lack of leadership in the democrat party to the front. They can't handle crime in cities they have ruled for years and they want to rule the United States. Is this a joke?
8. Posted by Scrapiron | May 18, 2007 11:46 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:46
9. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 11:47 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
jdavenport, I am sure both institutions are dysfunctional and in need of serious reform or maybe even a major mulligan.
Neither Wolfie nor Bolton were the right persons for the tasks. Their stewardship were dead on arrival. It was Bush's ignorance or arrogance that lead him to believe that he could appoint polarizing figures and expect cooperation.
9. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 11:47 AM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 11:47
10. Posted by Drago | May 18, 2007 12:21 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Barney: "He made a good faith effort not to be crook?"
Given Wolfowitz's exoneration by the World Bank today, please cite, specifically, what makes Wolfowitz "a crook".
Feel free to use investigative findings, court documents, court rulings, etc.
10. Posted by Drago | May 18, 2007 12:21 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 12:21
11. Posted by jdavenport | May 18, 2007 12:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
BarneyG2000: "Neither Wolfie nor Bolton were the right persons for the tasks."
Perhaps. There is kicking something from the outside and changing something from the inside. My problem with the inside method is I don't think our institutions will change the WTO or UN, I think the UN and WTO will change our institutions. For the worse.
We will just become part of the graft machine. So I lean toward kicking it from the outside. I see both Bolton and Wofie as doing that. I think Bill and Hillary are just waiting to get into that system, but to play it, not change it. Thats what I see.
Perhaps not Gore or Obama, but they still trust those institutions too much.
KIM:
Kim, I'm interested in hearing more. How do you keep the American money attached to the rule of law, and still reign in some of the disfunction our size mismatch creates for emergent democratic structures?
I was actually pleased with the labor law injection into Bush's enhanced trade authority (whatever its called). You don't want US interests overriding the democratic process in emergent democracies.
But don't labor requirements create more of an incentive for american money to enter the WTO-UN graft complex?
Fuzzy question,I know. But I think its clear enough.
11. Posted by jdavenport | May 18, 2007 12:25 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 12:25
12. Posted by bryanD | May 18, 2007 12:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Paulie "Socks" Wolfowitz is a gangster whose bad hygiene and naked greed was too much for the "Gentlemen" to stomach. He lived down to every prejudice ascribed to his race, in their minds. And worse, he brought bad publicty to their cozy moneychanging cartel. An unforgivable sin. "Uncouth" is a curse word in all bureaucracies.
12. Posted by bryanD | May 18, 2007 12:42 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 12:42
13. Posted by Allen | May 18, 2007 12:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Poor Wolfie, another Repuggie who has "moral values". Still married and helps out his girlfriend. Cleaning up the corruption, well what about the "K street" project that Delay, and a whole bunch of fellow puggies were doing.
I have to laugh at your reasons they are making him resign. Just like Gonzo and Card running to the hospital when the then AG was sicker than hell. I suppose that also is fine, as they were trying to clean up some corruption.
13. Posted by Allen | May 18, 2007 12:42 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 12:42
14. Posted by Drago | May 18, 2007 1:12 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
bryand: "He lived down to every prejudice ascribed to his race, in their minds."
Spoken exactly as someone who believes Pravda is a valid source of information would.
Note how Barney/bryand never actually, you know, point out specifically any "transgressions" committed by wolfowitz.
Worse, in bryand's case (which will remain unremarked upon by lefties), he even dredges up the image of blood libels and blatant racism: bryand: "Paulie "Socks" Wolfowitz is a gangster whose bad hygiene and naked greed was too much for the "Gentlemen" to stomach. He lived down to every prejudice ascribed to his race."
Perfect.
Bryan, why don't you just say what you're really thinking: wolfie is a dirty joooo who deserves whatever he gets.
No question about it, with the modern day political alignment between radical leftism and radical islamo-fascism, anti-semitism now has a powerful new impetus.
14. Posted by Drago | May 18, 2007 1:12 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:12
15. Posted by Semanticleo | May 18, 2007 1:18 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
those who howled about Wolfowitz' "corruption."
Occasionally, Jay, you spew without regard to facts.
Have you actually read the WB docs?
Pay particular attention to pg 52.
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/EthicsCommitteeCase.pdf
15. Posted by Semanticleo | May 18, 2007 1:18 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:18
16. Posted by Drago | May 18, 2007 1:21 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Allen: "Poor Wolfie, another Repuggie who has "moral values". Still married and helps out his girlfriend. Cleaning up the corruption, well what about the "K street" project that Delay, and a whole bunch of fellow puggies were doing."
For the record, Wolfowitz was separated and, more importantly (and this is an incontrovertible fact), wolfowitz attempted to recuse himself from determinations of his gal friends salary and status. By now, Allen knows this, and yet simply keeps parroting the same lies.
Still waiting of course,for this huge litany of corruption that wolfowitz was responsible for. It won't be forthcoming though, since it doesn't exist.
But hey, wolfowitz is a jew, is generally supportive of Israel's survival, doesn't think too much of world bureaucracies. Those facts alone are sufficient to damn him in the eyes of the "Pravda-quoters" and Allen's of the world.
The K street project was simple use of majority power that Delay used to counteract the 40years of continuous democrat demands that the majority of lobbyist positions go to Dems.
Now, the dems are back in charge and the word has gone out that the lobbying firms had better reverse those "hiring repub" trends if those lobbying firms want to have access.
It's beyond parody that the reality of the huge dem advantage in lobbying for the 40 dem run was never commented upon, much less negatively, by any watchdog group, politician, or commenters like allen et al (though, to be fair, there weren't forums like this available in those days.)
Bottom line, whichever party is in power is going to demand that lobbying firms have representatives that are welcome in the majority parties legislative offices, and the lobbying firms will comply.
Simply because the lefties don't call their demands a "project", doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
16. Posted by Drago | May 18, 2007 1:21 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:21
17. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
jd, good question which I can't answer. I suspect Chinese and Indian money as well as others will take care of the size mismatch. One question will be whether the WB remains relevant. It can't if it remains corrupt; so really, it doesn't matter.
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17. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:24 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:24
18. Posted by seala | May 18, 2007 1:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
he was never qualified anyway. World Bank employees were high fiving each other and dancing in the halls when they found out the idiot was leaving!1
18. Posted by seala | May 18, 2007 1:25 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:25
19. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Drago. Ever again. Say it again. Ever again.
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19. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:27 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:27
20. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
OK, jd, I thought a little more and the answer is clear. Insist on scrupulous probity, and accountability in the World Bank. Corrupt institutions are not impossible to cleanse. Many good present institutions started out less so.
The labor question is tougher as is the wont of labor questions.
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20. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:30 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:30
21. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:32 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
seala regards evidence of glee that their corruption is safe for now as proof that Paul was incompetent? Please, don't anyone put seala in charge of a bank.
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21. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:32 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:32
22. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | May 18, 2007 1:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
He's a Joooo and a capitalist. That's all westboro bryan needs, Drago.
22. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | May 18, 2007 1:33 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:33
23. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:36 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
A soundbite in the Day of the Life of a Useful Idiot; Wooo, people celebrating, he must have been incompetent.
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23. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:36 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:36
24. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:40 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Allen, Comey and Schumer provoked that run to the hospital and are all the more evil for trying to put the onus for that on Card and Gonzales.
You've been suckered with disinformation.
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24. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 1:40 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:40
25. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 1:49 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
So Wolfoquit didn't do anything wrong? Then why did he resign? Why did Bush throw him overboard? Why can't anyboby find his divorce papers? Why doesn't Wolfie or his wife just come out and say they are divorced?
I thought Bush was loyal and didn't care what others thought? It sounds like Bush is just a poser.
25. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 1:49 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:49
26. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 1:50 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
So Wolfoquit didn't do anything wrong? Then why did he resign? Why did Bush throw him overboard? Why can't anybody find his divorce papers (plenty have search those public records)? Why doesn't Wolfie or his wife just come out and say they are divorced?
I thought Bush was loyal and didn't care what others thought? It sounds like Bush is just a poser.
26. Posted by BarneyG2000 | May 18, 2007 1:50 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 13:50
27. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
BG2, don't you get tired of swallowing all that and then barfing it back up? I don't mean the double post, I mean the talking points. Everything you said has been masticated into pap.
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27. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:02 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:02
28. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I mean, everything you ever say. You are a bureau, aren't you?
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28. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:03 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:03
29. Posted by Brian | May 18, 2007 2:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Still waiting of course,for this huge litany of corruption that wolfowitz was responsible for. It won't be forthcoming though, since it doesn't exist.
Did you miss this post?
29. Posted by Brian | May 18, 2007 2:05 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:05
30. Posted by Semanticleo | May 18, 2007 2:07 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"I mean, everything you ever say. You are a bureau, aren't you?"
Do you have a salient point on this discussion?
Do you see your reflection in that mirror?
30. Posted by Semanticleo | May 18, 2007 2:07 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:07
31. Posted by bryanD | May 18, 2007 2:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Drago: I'm quite familiar with the central European mind when it comes to commerce. The new money and the old cling to the romance of Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs and the Vatican methods of purchasing capital on credit (and theoretically met with credit; IOU:IOU).
Moving neccessary moneys and valuables was consigned at interest (insurance with profit against loss) to Jews (or Italians or Armenians). This put the onus on these professional middlemen.
Now, per the WB situation, Wolfowitz is looked upon as a cipher for carrying out the schemes of the moneyed interests, in the classic middleman role: to facilitate transactions by using the WB financial networks. And he couldn't do it, or do it discreetly enough. (Bad for business; embarrassing)
I'm not anti-Semitic for pointing out European anti-semitism. It's a fact. Jews are legally tolerated, but to this day are shunted to certain zones of the continent if their occupation is notable to the moneyed interests; ex. diamonds? Rotterdam-Antwerp; gold and sterling? the City of London.
There's signs of that here as well, but Unum Sanctum and high church policies die hard in Europe. Even the ancient nature worship is lived out in mass treks in the summertime; Volksmarch, etc. Who would have thought that anti-semetic fascist organizations based on sun cults would have sprung up in every European country only 65 years ago?
So go bawl to someone else, libtard.
31. Posted by bryanD | May 18, 2007 2:11 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:11
32. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:19 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Semanticleo is envious.
Hey, bD, 'shunt' yo mouf.
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32. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:19 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:19
33. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:20 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You know they almost got shunted to Kenya not Palestine?
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33. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 2:20 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 14:20
34. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 3:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
How clever, jd, to get me into the salt mines. I hope that yellow brick road leading to the hole in the ground with flyers at the top overlies orebodies, not whore bodies.
Well, an ancient question. It seems capitol and labor are both necessary; if both necessary, are they not a unity for their pragmaticapacity? What is the difference between them? Is there one?
Interesting, too, when labour is now replaced with energy in some of the old equations. Electric motors diffusing through industry led to amazing productivity gains as has automation in general.
I don't know that any of the old rules will apply, except probably supply and demand.
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34. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 3:52 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 15:52
35. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 3:53 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
And, of course, free markets will prevail as the most effecient expression of those rules.
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35. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 3:53 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 15:53
36. Posted by marc | May 18, 2007 3:58 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
He's a Joooo and a capitalist. That's all westboro bryan needs, Drago.
That goes a long way to explain why bryanD[elusional] clings so hard to the skirts of those behind Loose Change. The joooos allegedly were part of that plot also.
As far as Bush appointing the wrong people (Wolf at the WB and Bolton at the UN) I agree. He choose two bulldogs who waged mighty wars to reform both corrupt institutions.
In part they succeeded, but weren't allowed to stay and continue because too many corrupt rocks were overturned.
On the other hand Bush could have nominated more in a long string of lap dogs as so many before him have done.
The WSJ sums it up well.
There have been plenty of outrages in the bank's treatment of Mr. Wolfowitz, but for sheer chutzpah nothing exceeds the argument of last week's report by the investigating committee of the board that he had put the institution "in a bad and unfair light" by daring to defend himself publicly against selective and false media leaks designed to smear him. Had Mr. Wolfowitz taken that advice, he would have been out on his ear without so much as the benefit of the formal acquittal he has now received.
36. Posted by marc | May 18, 2007 3:58 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 15:58
37. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 4:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
marc, what is incredible is the lack of self-consciousness necessary to make that argument; that or simply the pure evil of it.
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37. Posted by kim | May 18, 2007 4:02 PM |
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Posted on May 18, 2007 16:02
38. Posted by Mitchell | May 18, 2007 4:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's not about Wolfowitz, it's about the corruption in that institution--the poorer states receiving World Bank funds wanted him to stay.
It was the European Union diplomat types who didn't like it; cramps their style in doling out largesse to dictators.
38. Posted by Mitchell | May 18, 2007 4:15 PM |