right now there is a political standoff, which the head of the imf, christine largarde, has a duty to stop. >> the fiscal cliff -- when you talk to people around the world, how concerned are they about the ramifications of americans going over this cliff? >> people around the world are concerned about it. it used to be the case that they were more concerned about the eurozone than the fiscal cliff. now things have changed. they often ask about it and its resolution. >> what do you think the impact could be globally? we're looking at a time when the global recovery is fragile at best. >> the u.s. is about 20% of the global economy. if the u.s. suffers as a result of the fiscal cliff, a complete wiping out of its growth, it is going to have repercussions around the world. if the u.s. economy has two% less growth, it will probably be a 1% less growth in mexico, canada, in europe, and japan. there will be ripple effects. >> are you worried about this? >> yes. of course i worry about it. the u.s. is a big chunk of the global economy. it has often been a driver of growth. to have that large