Muttering at the World Bank

"Muttering at the World Bank
Wolfowitz's Appointment of Loyalists Disturbs Some Staffers
: By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2006; Page D01

"At the World Bank, they are sometimes referred to as 'the entourage,' 'the palace guard,' or 'the circle of trust,' because of their close relationship with bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz. They are Americans with ties to the Bush administration, and the immense clout they wield has sparked a furor in the ranks of the giant development leader."

Are the halls of the World Bank stacked with ultra-conservatives that owe their allegiance to George W. Bush? Wolfowitz was an aide to Scoop Jackson, a moderate-to-conservative Democrat, but changed his party allegiance. Looking at his biography and curriculum vitae, one can find that there are strong ties, allegiance and favors owed to the Bush family, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wolfowitz)

Wolfowitz is also one of the people behind the "Bush Doctrine" that essentially ignores international law, our Constitution, and is the basis for our invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Their roles have rekindled fears among the staff that Wolfowitz, the former U.S. deputy defense secretary, is bent on imposing a conservative agenda on the bank. Wolfowitz has repeatedly sought to dispel such concerns since he became bank president in June. He has pledged his commitment to the bank's mission of alleviating poverty, and his unassuming manner has charmed many staffers who were averse to his role as a chief strategist of the U.S.-Iraq war."

Some Europeans and policy analysts were greatly concerned at his nomination and confirmation, claiming that he lacked any real experience in the field of economic development, would lean to far to the right and only represent the Bush administration's views on world-wide issues. (http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/9692)

"But after months of seeming tranquillity, the bank is stewing with discontent over Wolfowitz's choice of several confidantes with administration or Republican connections to serve in key bank posts. The most influential is Robin Cleveland, who worked closely with Wolfowitz when she was a senior official at the Office of Management and Budget and is now his top adviser. Two others are Kevin S. Kellems, a former spokesman for Vice President Cheney who last month became the bank's chief communications strategist; and Suzanne Rich Folsom, a former Republican activist named last month to head the Department of Institutional Integrity, the bank's internal watchdog unit. Kellems also holds the title of senior adviser to the president, and Folsom has the title of counselor to the president."

Were either Folsom or Kellems chosen for their banking or development qualifications? Or was the Bush penchant for cronyism in full bloom? It would appear that qualifications is only one part of the job interview criteria. Being the "right kind of Republican" and kissing up to the right circle of politically connected friends seem to be as important, if not more important, for jobs in the Bush circle of influence.

With little development experience, one or more members of that trio advise Wolfowitz on many of his major decisions and act as his conduits to other bank officials. The arrangement, bank veterans said, is unprecedented at the 184-nation institution, which has a multinational staff of 10,000 and lends about $20 billion a year to developing countries for projects ranging from roads and medical clinics to the creation of financial systems.

"Top bank officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of offending the new team, said a sense of powerlessness prevails in the bank's upper echelon because of the requirements for important matters to go through the Wolfowitz coterie. Several high-ranking officials have left -- notably Shengman Zhang, the bank's former No. 2, and Roberto Daniño, the general counsel, both of whom told colleagues that they felt cut out of decision-making."

This is the Bush method of dealing with people not hand-picked but must be present... Colin Powell was treated this way when he tried to raise issues and points of view outside of the decisions pre-determined according to the Bush doctrine and the Bush version of ultra-conservativism. If you can't kill or fire them, then just give them the cold shoulrder and exclude them.

"Further fueling the disquiet was the disclosure last week that Ana Palacio, who was foreign minister of Spain when that nation sent troops to Iraq, has received a short-term contract as a bank consultant -- perhaps positioning her for a permanent job."

Cronyism extended to those officials from other nations that have demonstrated their loyalty to the Bush idiocy.

"In an interview, Wolfowitz said the anxiety was understandable, but he scoffed at suggestions that his lieutenants are distancing him from longtime bank staffers. "I can't be 'surrounded' by two-and-a-half people," he said, noting that he has appointed several non-Americans to important posts -- Graeme Wheeler, a New Zealander, as acting managing director; Letitia A. Obeng, a Ghanaian, as his office director; Lars H. Thunell, a Swede, as head of the bank's private-sector investment arm; and Vincenzo La Via, an Italian, as chief financial officer."

But these folks are not in the inner circle, cannot effectively speak against the policies and practices of an entrenched leadership that is also entrenched in the Bush ideology and "conquer the world with democracy" world view.

"I really like hearing different points of view," Wolfowitz said. "I like to encourage people to disagree with me." With a grin, he added that he has told staffers that they should withhold opposing views only when they are meeting with an official from some foreign government, "and you're agreeing with him, not me."

The World Bank is supposed to be run by principles of democracy... Does that sound like democracy to you? Or does it sound like an entrenched corporate leadership? BTW, it is the entrenchment of corporate leadership that causes financial crises at major corporation... They, too, do not want to hear opposing views during mettings.

"He also gave out his personal e-mail address" to a large number of staffers, Kellems said. "The offer was, 'I don't care what rank you are, if you have a concern, or idea, whatever it is, send it to me. I pledge to read it. I do not pledge to answer them all. But I promise you, if you want the contents to remain anonymous, it will.' Then he sometimes sends them to us -- if he wants it acted on, he'll strip off who it is from, and say, 'What do you think of this?' or, 'This looks like it might be a real problem.'"

Bill Gates used to say and do the same thing. Ask anyone at Microsoft what happens when an employee send something to Wild Bill that doesn't go according to Bill's way of thinking. Reports of his tirades, name-calling and yelling are legendary.

Although the World Bank president is by tradition a U.S. citizen, no previous president has filled his office with Americans, much less a group of politically kindred spirits, according to bank staffers who have worked there since it was run in the 1970s by former defense secretary Robert S. McNamara. Common as such a staffing approach may be at, say, a U.S. Cabinet agency, it goes down poorly among the bank's international civil servants.

"Part of the problem, bank staffers acknowledged, is that many of them don't care for Republican policies."

Imagine members of the international community not appreciating the Republican party and its leadership. Is that a shock to the system? Not really. The International Community, with the exception of the United Kingdom, has raised issues with the current Bush administration, the previous Bush administration and the Reagan-Bush administration. The current administration has no respect for international law, or international input into international affairs.

While this ruckus at the World Bank will eventually work itself out, there is cause for concern that George W. Bush and his gang of ultra-conservative thugs are pushing their agenda not only on American citizens, but in places that affect world development and freedom around the world. Since his version of freedom is one dominated by a controlling political party and ultra-conservative Christian ideology (not pinciples, but ideology), there really isn't a whole lot of liberty, rights or freedom involved.