"A rift has opened up between the United States and Britain over converting World Bank loans into grants.
The dispute threatens to hold up proposals by the Bush administration to increase funds from rich countries to the arm of the Bank that lends them to the poorest nations." IHT Thursday 17th Jan 02 The full article: http://www.iht.com/articles/45122.htm is cleverly spun to suggest that the dispute is between Paul O'Neill and the British Development Minister, Clare Short. These are not counterparts and of course she must be a proxy for Gordon Brown to some extent, even though his views are not necessarily identical to hers. The whole methodology of New Labour is to avoid too overt a confrontation on any issue, but they are not averse to isses becoming an area of debate. Behind this coded report is indeed evidence of a crack in the fawning solidarity of Britain to the US. In the nicest possible way, Gordon Brown's vision of a rational and humane world is not the same as Paul O'Neill's. They are prepared to fight for it (in the nicest possible way - "So sorry to hear about your recent personal tragedy" My wife and I have been praying for you!"). Behind their ability to "bridge the differences" and "work something out", lie the interests of vast hoards of accumulated global capital. Watching, too passively and despondently, are the Multitude of the World. 20,000 children still die unnecessarily every day. But at the moment it is rather like the childen watching a dispute between the parents that they do not fully understand. Chris Burford London
