Friday, September 23, 2005

You just never can predict people's behavior

It's been said that Robert McNamara went to the World Bank as penance for his role in Vietnam. I wonder whether we'll be saying a similar thing about Paul Wolfowitz, a major architect of our Iraq fiasco, years from now.

Thus far, almost four months into the presidency of the World Bank, Wolfowitz seems to be doing a good job. Sure, he's made some changes in emphasis, but they seem sound. He's spending more money on agriculture in Africa and on infrastructure projects. He wants to put more money in the hands of small business rather than the big businesses Wolfensohn preferred. And, he's moving more of the bank staff out into the real world.

A good start. Pray he keeps it up.

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