The London papers are trailing Blair's speech to the IMF and in other meetings today with Clinton. It appears it is indeed a joint initiative for the reform of the global financial system.
Publicity for it will clash with the questionable demeanour of Clinton testifying to the grand jury, and we will see who will win. The fact that Blair and the other meetings are going ahead as scheduled is an indication of the confidence in this political lineup, whether Clinton continues for another month, whether he goes after 20th January, to allow Gore two clear runs at president, or whether he lasts out his term.
The balance of political authority within the capitalist camp is with reforming populist managers of the economy like Clinton and Blair. By contrast the House of Representatives' rejection of further funding for the IMF shows it has little lead to give.
In the course of this theatre we are also witnessing another shift in global politics. Blair, closer to the USA than Europe, will nevertheless be signifying the presence of Europe in these proposals, and a weakened US president will symbolise the possibility of moving to a bipolar currency world.
Meanwhile in Malaysia another drama combines more obvious politics with allegations of private sexual practices. And while we reject the attacks on sexual civil liberties, it is worth bearing in mind the sense in which symbolically, the Malaysians, workers and national capitalists, feel they have been buggered by international finance. That is what Anwar really represents, and is what is being played out in symbolic terms.
Neo-liberalism, is hopefully in for a bit of a kicking.
Chris Burford
London