It would seem that in these times of crisis, everybody is willing to put social interest ahead of self-interest. Whether it’s the time taken to convene in London, which Flaherty has praised, or the disclosure of finances by AIG, even though it may have been the product of mass duress.

What is most striking in the way of philanthropy, however, is the decision by OPEC to put global needs before profit margins, following a conference today. With oil trading $100 per barrel lower than its peak in July of 2008, it is questionable how much worse the market can get, but OPEC’s member nations are not taking any chances, and sticking to their September commitments for reduction. They will, given the proven unpredictable nature of the economy, reevaluate the situation two months from now.

Luckily, for the sake of balance in the world, former vice president Dick Cheney took some time from his busy retirement of shooting animals and friends to give a perfectly unbiased critique of the Obama Presidency thus far. In no uncertain terms, Cheney said that certain policy decisions made by Obama heightened the risk of terrorism in the U.S., and issued further scathing evaluation of his government spending habits.

Cheney did, in his defense, commend the efforts regarding the Iraq war, with an undertone of “our administration started it, of course it worked.”

Iraq anybody?

Cheney also took time to plug his upcoming book, a life story chronicling his decades in government, and in the same spirit of mindless self preservation, eccentric Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina applied for $1.4 million in aid today, for her “Project Orange”.

It’s great to see that in these times of trouble, somebody has her priorities straight; what country facing recession doesn’t need a complex shaped like slices of fruit which will lay a light orange tint over the Moscow River.

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