Whatever illusion it was that suggested the presence of a common global agreement (or even a semi-regional agreement) on the best way to approach the present crisis faded quickly after the first mutual caresses of the appendages of state resulted in multiple charges of sexual harassment. Doubtless, Gordon Brown, who is facing his own political crisis on top of the economic weight already crushing his skull day in and day out, hoped matters would glide smoothly over the many financial surfaces covered with new found Anglo-American lubricant. Not so fast. That stuff dries out fast.
A rift between Europe and America over the crux of the G20 summit was last night threatening Gordon Brown’s hopes for a deal to rescue the world economy.
The size of the challenge facing the British Government in bringing together world powers was emphasised in a candid admission by Britain’s most senior civil servant that it was proving “unbelievably difficult” to liaise with the Obama Administration to prepare for the meeting.
Sheesh, what’s the problem? Is Larry Summers too busy preparing his keynote for Wellesley (“The Inadequacy and Irrelevancy of Female Scholarship in the Modern age: A Question of Intelligence?”) to pick up the phone or return a text?
A simmering row about the whole point of the G20 meeting on April 2 burst into the open when Larry Summers, chief economic adviser to President Obama, called on other countries to follow America’s lead in pumping even more money into stimulus plans to revive the world economic system.
A certain amount of complexity, and a measure of delay while group dynamics form was to be expected, so is the Times just stirring up silt as a bit of payback for some perceived slight inflicted on Gordon Brown’s last state visit? They seem to be biting down pretty hard if so:
Sir Gus O’Donnell said that No 10 was finding it “unbelievably difficult” to prepare with the US. The Cabinet Secretary was speaking about the advantages of a permanent civil service and the difficulties of dealing with a Government with hundreds of appointees. “There is nobody there,” Sir Gus said. “You cannot believe how difficult it is.”
You know, if you drift back to some of Brown’s comments during his last state visit, he was laying it on awfully thick. Are we just joining the tin-foil hat crowd, or was this sort of thing already starting to look like an issue? Consider:
Alliances can wither or be destroyed, but partnerships of purpose are indestructible. Friendships can be shaken, but our friendship is unshakeable. Treaties can be broken but our partnership is unbreakable.
And I know there is no power on earth than can drive us apart.
Well, clearly he hadn’t spent much time with Summers yet when the speech was drafted.
‘Difficult’ Americans hamper G20 efforts to secure a global deal [Times Online]
Gordon Brown’s speech to US Congress [The Guardian]
BN 10:22 – Dodd says uptick rule my provide relief to “fair value” issue.
It seems he has confused mark to market/uptick/fair value into some kind of retarded dream.
God help us
Sir Gus? Hard to take seriously. Should be something like Sir Colin Smythe-Fottington, 17th Earl of South Pembrokshire-in-the-Wold.
Is it absolutely necessary for you to post pictures of that errant prick up there? He is an embarrassment.
@ Merkin
And you were expecting, what, exactly?
3 small words. Gold @ $240.
Wonky eyed c*nt.
Is that Summers lecture going to be webcast? I want to make sure to leave space on my calendar.
@ anal: you’re right, i should know better by now.
Fool me once, strike one, fool me twice…strike three.
Gordon Brown is a dead man walking, but he is not going down by himself.
Having refused to shoulder any blame for the UK’s vast credit/property bubble which occurred during his ten years as Chancellor of the Exchequer (http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/10/gordon-brown-quotes-of-day.html), his final act in office will be to load up on even more debt and bequeath a financial shit-storm for his successor, David Cameron, and all Britons for generations to come.
What a c*nt.
Wasn’t Gordon Brown the one who expressed his preference for Obama mid-election, something unprecedented for a head of state?
Looks like every day more people realise that Obama is not the person they thought he was.
Thats Change (c).
was it the DVD selection that ticked Gordon off?
A haiku for Gordon:
Took all the credit,
but none of the damn blame,
wonky eyed scots twat
Clearly Gordon is the girl in the relationship. He put all kindsa thought into the hand made gift and first edition while the Big O just grabbed the first thing he saw in the store. Now he’s all hurt and sulking and questioning where the relationship is going.
@9
head of government you twit. head of state is the queen
I didn’t know liaise was even a word… learn something new every day.
@14 – You should action the purchase of an up to date dictionary and effort the reading of it daily.
@15 – your use of “action” and “effort” as transitive verbs (as opposed to nouns) would strain the definitions of most trustworthy dictionaries.
@11 funny yes, haiku no.
5-7-5
It’s interesting to read this now, right after the summit meeting. Before this week, I would have agreed with the article above. Yet, now it looks as though the U.S. and the U.K. are some of the more closely allied nations in this global economic craziness. There are quite a few dissenters–nearly every country has various concerns–but it looks as though France is one of the most recognizably discontent with Brown/Obama’s current goals. He wants global regulation. I’m not sure how exactly that can be operated without abuse of any sort, but maybe it could happen. It probably has more of a chance in the smaller world of the EU. I watched a summary video on all the G20 meeting and Brown/Obama’s basic goals today at newsy.com. It’s worth looking at for a recap and some different opinions:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/obama_brown_shoulder_to_shoulder_for_g20/