Matthew Yglesias: Wolfowitz To World Bank

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Wolfowitz To World Bank

Ah. As had been rumored, and then not-rumored, Bush apparently will appoint Paul Wolfowitz to the World Bank after all. It's a fitting gig for a disgraced former Pentagon official, though I suppose it'll lead to a diplomatic contretemps. I'm going to stake out a radically moderate view on this and say that I'd like to actually know something about Wolfowitz's views on what the World Bank does before offering judgment. Preventative wars are not, I take it, something the Bank head is able to launch.

March 16, 2005 | Permalink

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» Wolfowitz Nominated to Lead World Bank from CommonSenseDesk
Our president has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to be the next President of the World Bank. [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 11:40:19 AM

» Wolfowitz Nominated to Lead World Bank from CommonSenseDesk
Our president has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to be the next President of the World Bank. [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 11:43:00 AM

» Wolfowitz Nominated to Lead World Bank from CommonSenseDesk
Our president has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to be the next President of the World Bank. [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 11:47:43 AM

» Wolfowitz Nominated to Lead World Bank from CommonSenseDesk
Our president has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to be the next President of the World Bank. [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 11:53:29 AM

» Wolfowitz Nominated to Lead World Bank from CommonSenseDesk
Our president has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to be the next President of the World Bank. [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 11:56:00 AM

» 'Weasonable on Wolfowitz' from Boston Dreams
As I posted earlier, Paul Wolfowitz, one of the architects of our New American Century, is being nominated by Bush to be head of the World Bank, pending European approval (ha!). Matt Yglesias makes a [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 12:28:25 PM

» Wolfowitz Nominated for World Bank from Freiheit und Wissen
...Is Yglesias holding out hope that Wolfowitz will return to the days when the World Bank focused on market failures and development as opposed to the “market fundamentalism” it shares with the IMF? [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 12:54:44 PM

» Wolfowitz Nominated to Lead World Bank from CommonSenseDesk
Our president has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to be the next President of the World Bank. [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 12:59:55 PM

» Wolfowitz to Head World Bank: World Reacts (UPDATED) from The Jawa Report
President Bush has nominated Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. AP in The Guardian:President Bush on Wednesday tapped Defense Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who has been a lightning rod for criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and other... [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 2:22:22 PM

» Dr. Wolfowitz Goes to the World Bank from Blog or Not?
The President is recommending everyone's favorite Deputy Secretary of Defense to be head of the World Bank. While I'm not a big fan of The Wolfster, I'm relatively optimistic. First, as Yglesias points out, the World Bank doesn't have the capability to... [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 6:21:42 PM

» Wolfowitz woes from New Economist
President Bush's appointment of neo-conservative Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as his choice for World Bank president has provoked dismay around the world. According to Reuters he:Bush on Wednesday sought to head off objections to his choice ... [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 16, 2005 8:59:02 PM

» Stste vs. Defense II: the sequel from Daniel W. Drezner
The president announced his nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to be the next World Bank president. Apparently the Europeans are not happy, according to the Washington Post's Keith B. Richburg and Glenn Frankel: President Bush's nomination of Deputy Defense ... [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 17, 2005 12:18:43 AM

» Catching my eye: morning A through Z from The Glittering Eye
Here's what's caught my eye so far this morning: Reactions to the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World bank are coming in: A Fistful of Euros, Angry Bear, The Economist, Austin Bay, Brad DeLong, Bull Moose, Captain's Quarters,... [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 17, 2005 12:41:52 PM

Tracked on Mar 17, 2005 12:47:46 PM

Tracked on Mar 17, 2005 12:52:17 PM

» Intel on Wolfowitz Nomination... from Portside/s*a*m*i*z*d*a*t
...select notes & intell from a meeting of DC based NGOs on what's unfolding on Wolfowitz... [Read More]

Tracked on Mar 23, 2005 3:59:14 PM

Comments

Well, we do know that Wolfowitz is dogmatic and has bad judgement, even though he might mean well. Not good signs!

In case it wasn't already clear, now it's official: Wolfowitz is the new Macnamara.

Posted by: RC | Mar 16, 2005 10:45:35 AM

What's with the 'wolf' thing at the world bank? The current president's name is Wolfensohn. Coincidence? I think not...

Posted by: abb1 | Mar 16, 2005 10:47:47 AM

Disgraced former Pentagon official? That is patently absurd. At worst, the source of what you allege to be his "disgrace" is neutral and still unfolding...

Posted by: c'mon | Mar 16, 2005 11:01:57 AM

This is another case of Bush flipping the bird to Europe. Perhaps behind only Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush, Wolfowitz is reviled in most of Europe.

Posted by: Bragan | Mar 16, 2005 11:07:36 AM

The irony and the Vietnam all-over again deja vu are overwhelming.

Is the World Bank where we send Americans you lead us to disaster abroad?

First McNamara and now Wolfowitz. The achitect of Vietnam and now the new quagmire.

But there is one difference, McNamara did a great job as CEO of Ford, and Wolfwowitz hasn't done much of anything of note. He sounds great, better than McNamara, but his actual performance is much worse. Sadly another symbol of our decline.

This will be seen as another slap in the face of the world. Bolton, Rice, and now Wolfowitz. A bunch of failures thrown at them. We just don't care do we?

Posted by: Samuel Knight | Mar 16, 2005 11:08:12 AM

Well, that the gig keeps him far away from "planning" any more military adventures is a silver lining.

Now, who'll take his job at the Pentagon? That's the thing to worry about.

Posted by: Brian | Mar 16, 2005 11:12:33 AM

"At worst, the source of what you allege to be his "disgrace" is neutral and still unfolding..."

The same might be said in favor of Nixon , , , or Benedict Arnold . . . or Judas . . .

Posted by: rea | Mar 16, 2005 11:13:00 AM

So the Wolfowitz bashers belive the Middle East is getting worse, not better? To me, it seems like there is finally some hope there. And the new Bush policy towards Iran and Hezbollah is a slap at Europeans too, I imagine? Right.

Posted by: Peter K. | Mar 16, 2005 11:16:28 AM

Seems to me to be a great pick by Bush. The only downside is that we lose him for the Iraq project.

It is unfortunate that he'll be leaving the Pentagon, where he has done such an incredibly important and good job with respect to Iraq. Obviously, success in Iraq is our most important priority. However, because we are well on our way to success - it's not assured, certainly, but largely because of Wolfowitz, we're in an extremely good position there - we may be able to afford losing him.

And, it seems to me that Wolfowitz can broaden the Iraq project to other coutries using the economic levers of the World Bank instead of the military levers of the Pentagon.

One thing we know about Wolfowitz is that he is willing to take risks to bring about large and important changes in policy. In Iraq, the risks he advocated have obviously paid big dividends for us so far. Let's hope that the risks he will take at the World Bank pay off similarly.

Posted by: Al | Mar 16, 2005 11:25:11 AM

Wolfowitz "might mean well" ...

Well, I suppose Saddam "meant well" too--at least from his perspective.

Posted by: Blue Iris | Mar 16, 2005 11:28:23 AM

I think it's an excellent choice. First, it means Bush is "going strong" with his "promotions via failure" thing.

Second, I can't think of a better place than the World Bank for someone with a long track record of placing ideology over reality.

Posted by: Morat | Mar 16, 2005 11:30:34 AM

i agree with Al: Wolfowitz is a national hero. we should name a holiday after him : Wolfowitz Day - the day we remember that they didn't find any WMDs.

Posted by: cleek | Mar 16, 2005 11:32:07 AM

Well, I suppose Saddam "meant well" too--at least from his perspective.

Moral relativism, alive and well?

Posted by: Troilus | Mar 16, 2005 11:33:31 AM

Time for change; reprogram Al to sing shit kicking music.

Posted by: ken melvin | Mar 16, 2005 11:33:52 AM

Yeah Bush really showed Europe by having to back down and take their side! Those Frog loving Kraut chewing Bastards never knew what hit 'em!

Posted by: Rob | Mar 16, 2005 11:42:17 AM

No, Wolfowitz day should be remembered as the day that neocons and the PNAC saved us from weapons of mass distruction related activities programs.

Posted by: TJ | Mar 16, 2005 11:50:00 AM

abb1,

Actually, the meaning of the two names are identical. The suffix "-owitz" in Polish denotes "son of," similar to "-ovich" in Russian.

Posted by: Vadranor | Mar 16, 2005 11:50:14 AM

c'mon: disgraced former Pentagon official Wolfowitz was demoted by ex-President Bush...

Posted by: sammler | Mar 16, 2005 12:02:23 PM

Couldn't Bush have gone with Wolf Blitzer instead?

Posted by: Tim H. | Mar 16, 2005 12:07:19 PM

Maybe one of the other candidates mentioned for the WorldBank position will get Wolfowitz's job as a consolation. How about it, Mr. President--Bono at the Pentagon?

Posted by: Freder Frederson | Mar 16, 2005 12:15:49 PM

"Couldn't Bush have gone with Wolf Blitzer instead?"

I'll one-up you. How about an actual live wolf?

Posted by: praktike | Mar 16, 2005 12:18:05 PM

Fred Frederson, I second that remark.

Posted by: Saheli | Mar 16, 2005 12:25:47 PM

Matt, isn't the fact that Wolfowitz is an incompetent whose only skill is bureaucratic in-fighting make him a poor choice, whatever his views?

Posted by: Walt Pohl | Mar 16, 2005 12:29:10 PM

It's a jungle out there...

Martin Wolf
Associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times

Martin Wolf is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times.

He obtained the Master of Philosophy in economics from Oxford University in 1971. Following that he joined the World Bank, where he became a senior economist in 1974.

Posted by: abb1 | Mar 16, 2005 12:35:10 PM

Well, at least it won't be Carly Fiorina. Probably Bush figured that destroying Silicon Valley's most beloved corporation was small potatoes compared to architecting the most disastrous foreign adventure since Vietnam.

Got to keep an eye on Fiorina though. She's far along on the Bushie path to success: wreck a company, make friends in high places. A political move is almost certainly in the works for her.

Posted by: Paul Callahan | Mar 16, 2005 12:36:35 PM

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