2/01/2005 07:21:18 PM|||Toni|||A Jolie Good Time On "corporate social responsibility" and being stood up by Angelina. BY BRET STEPHENS Tuesday, February 1, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST

This almost reads like a movie comedy, unfortunately, it isn't a movie nor is it a comedy! Here's what so-called "leaders" of the world (except for our very own President Bush) think is important today:

The forum takes place on the eve of Iraq's elections. Yet there's just one session on Iraq and just one on terrorism, and neither gets top billing. Instead, the conference is dominated by the themes of climate change and the plight of Africa, which seems to reflect the attitudes of the conferees. At a town-hall style meeting Wednesday, 700 forum participants are asked to choose what they think is the topmost global priority from a list of 12. Poverty comes in first at 64%, followed closely by "equitable globalization" and climate change. By contrast, only 24% pick the global economy, and only 19% pick trade.
What gives? The forum, remember, is often held to be the world's premier gathering for rapacious plutocrats, neoliberal globalizers and assorted hangers-on. And it is: Of the 2,250 participants, 50% are classed as "business leaders," including 500 chairmen and CEOs, while only 9% hail from nongovernmental organizations. Yet forum-think leans sharply leftward--so much so that Democratic Sen. Joe Biden and Rep. Barney Frank fall well to the right side of the Davos spectrum.

Get that Biden and Barney Frank (gasp gasp) fall well to the right of most in attendance!
|||110727927905893008|||World Economic Forum is "Taking Responsibility for Tough Choices,"