The spring meeting of the Bretton Woods institutions, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, once again brought to question the state of health of the global economy. The event highlighted the phenomenon of what is perceived as a "guerrilla war" against global corporate structures controlled from Washington.
Late last year in Seattle, the meeting of the World Trade Organization, the newly created trade entity promoting globalization, failed against the backdrop of stubborn street protests. It may be too simplistic to say that anarchists, new radicals, the far left or terrorists were solely responsible for organizing the determined protests in the very heartland of capitalism.
The upsurge in street protests against economic globalization is multifaceted. The last few decades saw many promises made at global summits about preserving the environment and improving the lot of the world's poor, women and children. Following the end of the Cold War, promises were made to developing countries to enhance aid, provide better education, improve hygiene, transfer technology and provide more financial support, and expectations ran high.