Friday 17 February 2012

World Bank Race

And they're off...names (cf the FT) are circulating,  opinions are being given on who may or may not stand, rules - spoken and unspoken - are being dusted off, while that old local authority recruitment injunction 'canvassing will disqualify' might never have existed.

Angels are for Condoleeza Rice.

Such a clever woman:  civilised, pragmatic, competent, successful yet discreet.  Ideally qualified as a political scientist with a profound understanding of the former Soviet Union  (more underdeveloped than that is hard to beat);  there are enough economists in the World Bank to sink a battleship and it's politics that matter in the world right now, not economics when we all know what needs to be done and where.   It's the doing  it that needs outstanding expertise.
Condoleeza for President of the World Bank!

UPDATE
The Bloomberg editorialist is calling for non-Americans to be in the running:

 "... it should go without saying that many extremely able candidates are available for the World Bank  job [Job?  This isn't a job - it's the presidency  of an institution wielding American power.  Why on Earth (seeing as we're coming over all global) should America have to find and nurture a suitable poodle?  Go for the real thing.]   who don’t happen to be American. To exclude them at the outset is indefensible. Obama should see this as an opportunity not just to appoint an excellent new leader of the World Bank but also to start a new chapter in global economic governance."

And  'a new chapter in global economic governance' wouldn't start from the World Bank now, would it?  And if it could then America is not going to have a non-American in charge, are they?

Further Update

The Observer seriously puts forward the candidacy of Geoffrey Sachs.

It doesn't happen often, but words fail me.  Conceited, superficial, boastful, intellectually under-powered....... as I said - words fail me.  

5 comments:

Weekend Yachtsman said...

Isn't she permanently tainted on account of having worked for you-know-who?

hatfield girl said...

Not that I've ever heard, Yacht. (Indeed even you-know-who doesn't seem to be permanently tainted.)

CR is held in highest regard for a real brain and real knowledge and delivery in academic/political circles.

dearieme said...

Sarkozy?

Nomad said...

Ron Paul, if you think he will survive long enough to complete a term, might put a few cats amongst the pigeons!


PS: HG, can you please turn this "are you a robot" thingy off; it is sometimes impossible to decypher until the third or fourth effort. Thanks.

PPS: You only need to type the indecypherable word to get in. The second word is meaningless and unnecessary. Try it!

hatfield girl said...

Nomad, I didn't know it was there. I'll try and make it go away. It must be blogger.