World Bank employees paranoid about cabal cobbled together by Wolfowitz

[dajoki]

Village Voice
http://villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat

Wolfie Does Some Trust-Busting at the World Bank

Paranoia about Wolfowitz's new cabal courses through the staff


World Bank employees are acting paranoid about the cabal cobbled together by new boss Paul Wolfowitz. But is it paranoia if they're really out to get you?

Suspicion of Wolfowitz's motives are running rampant among the 10,000 employees of the world's most powerful bank, according to fresh internal memos I obtained. The topic is the 2005 Staff Survey, a huge annual undertaking that depends upon anonymity and confidentiality.

Gee, why should anyone be suspicious of the genial architect of the Iraq debacle? Because the guy is setting up his own little cabal http://villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/002061.php to run the World Bank — recruiting from the White House and Pentagon, naturally.

Sparked by what some bank employees tell me is an unprecedented level of employee suspicion toward a bank president, Xavier Coll, the bank's personnel chief, issued a memo late Wednesday afternoon that said:

The Bank Group's management team is aware of concerns expressed by some staff about the anonymity and confidentiality of responses to the 2005 Staff Survey.

"Concerns"? That's putting it mildly. Coll's memo was an attempt to assure employees that their anonymity would be protected as they filled out the survey. Alison Cave, chair of the World Bank Group Staff Association, which formally represents employees in the bureaucracy of the bank, tried to offer the same encouragement, while noting that "staff are not required to fill in the demographic data, nor answer any specific questions if they are concerned about repercussions. However, the survey results are more useful if this information is filled in." She added:

It helps the Staff Association know which groups in the Bank are particularly happy or unhappy, and tells us where we need to focus our efforts and hold management accountable. In addition, the aggregated information is available to anyone in the Bank — ensuring both transparency and accountability.

But her memo acknowledged some chilling realities, including this:

I am also concerned by reports that managers are pressuring staff to respond positively to the survey, and not be honest and candid about any negatives. I would ask that you let me know which managers are doing this.

[NanceGreggs]

1. Never trust a man ...

... who sucks his own comb.

[dajoki]

13. he may be sucking...

more than his comb.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. WTF was the rest of the world thinking when

they accepted this snake? The European's willingness to go along with our bullying behavior, to put up with each new affront, is astounding. When are they going to say 'no'?

[dajoki]

3. we're the...

big bully of the world.

[hvn_nbr_2]

5. Neville Chamberlain lives. n/t

[1932]

6. Europe gets to pick the head of the IMF and the US picks the head of the

World Bank.

So, it's a trade-off.

[rumpel]

9. That is what I thought at the time, too.

[spooked]

4. I've decided...What these guys Live, Eat and Breathe is

WORLD DOMINATION...

It explains everything from 9/11 to the Bush Cabal's response to Katrina.

[dajoki]

7. is that...

*'s book.:rofl:

[1932]

8. For a contrast, compare Reagan's WB appointee, Barber Conable,

who strongly opposed the views of the neo-conservative lobby. He argued in 1995 that strengthening the UN was vital because "the world may not be willing to be policed by the United States".

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. I thought he was only going to handle loans to the poor?

[dajoki]

14. he doesn't know what poor is. n/t

[Roland99]

11. Serves those stupid fvcking morons right. We tried to warn them.

[dajoki]

12. you are correct...

but they won't listen.