If you've ever owed money to a bank, you'll know it's not a pleasant experience. Depending on whether they think you're good for the money, the bank will either screw you in the short term or milk you dry over the longer haul.
Banks are in the business of making money and generally they'll stop at nothing to get their way.
These banks hold the lion's share of the debt currently owed by the 'Third World'. This debt first accumulated in the '70s when poorer countries borrowed in order to develop their economies. To understand why the so called 'debt crisis' has happened we need to look back at why the WB and IMF were set up. One of the major consequences of the Great Depression was a realisation by those in power that the world's economic system was unstable. This instability has given rise to massive poverty and social turmoil and one of the most worrying consequences of this was the trend towards revolution in Europe, Asia and South America.