The failure of the WTO meetings in Seattle has been interpreted by the opponents of globalization as a David - and - Goliath battle, with small nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as the victorious David and huge multinational corporations and their government champions as the vanquished Goliath.This interpretation is wrong. The meetings broke down not because the opponents of globalization protested outside in the streets.The proponents themselves were unable to reach a compromise on a negotiating agenda within the allotted time.