I've no idea why Brown is so excited about protectionism given the UK has absolutely nothing left worth protecting.

DickW, Aberdeenshire,

Bruin is at risk of saying "must" to Obama, who is tantamount to a prince. He needs to learn again that old saying "there is no "must" for princes"- Queen Elizabeth I

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

Brown has as much credibility in advising Obama as Bush - after all he and Bush were until this year infatuated by the 'masters of the universe'. Maybe Brown is trying to hide his embarassment at fawning at the wrong crowd??
But really this move is utterly crass and I expect it to backfire.

mike Norton, Nagano, Japan

Amusing so many people lecturing president elect Obama who does not take office for another 2 months. All countries should be working on solving the very substantial problems within their own borders before trying to fix everybody else's country. That's how you fix the world. Start at home.

OS, Phoenix, US

Brown, one comment here, says. could not run a whelk stall. I agree.
Sold the gold, and emptied the countries piggie bank. Did not guide the incompetent FSA. Now has the cheek to lecture the World on fiscal policies.
Hopefully they realise the man talks out of the Nether Regions.

Eric Brown, Newport, Wales

Doha has been long dead. Protectionism has always been around in First World nations in subtle forms. We need a new trading pact for the developing world to benft

Jiesheng Li, Birmingham, UK, United Kingdom

Way to go, Brown, I write this from India and we all admired way he led the world ( and taught Hank Paulson) on treasury management. The US cant be protectionist at home and yet cry when others do. Charity begins at home, Barack. Do unto what others what you expect others to do to you. Hypocrisy?

Ramesh, Madras , India

To Kevin, Chicago,

With any luck the British electorate will give Brown that exact message as soon as he has the guts to call an election.

Sean, Surrey, UK

I wouldn't trust Brown to run a welk stall.
His (lack of) control over borrowing & lending got us into this mess.
Yes, the Americans might have put some large icebergs into the ocean but G. Brown didn't have to steer into one of them.
All of our pensions & savings destroyed - FOR YET MORE DEBT.

Phil, Preston,

How vulgar! How lacking in discretion! The week before last Brownie was on the road begging for hundreds of billions of dollars. Now he's substituting his 'judgment' for that of the US electorate less than a week after their election. That was a week that was! Bring back Frost and Martin and gang

Chris, Hamilton,

As this GLOBAL financial crisis has shown, we need this kind of international leadership. The countries which can best work together to utilise each others strengths will prevail as we go forward... anyone who says that they do not want to join the global society is doomed for failure.

Charles, Innsbruck, Austria

The only thing that Brown's "truly global society" has given us is failed social engineering (multiculturism) in the UK, our total capitulation to EU megalomaniacs, further exploitation and poverty in 3rd-world countries and a global recession. Shove it - and him!

Rog J, Portsmouth, uk

Brown is telling the Saudi's, Brown is telling the Chinese, Brown is telling Obama, Brown is telling the G7. Who does he think he's kidding. He might well be talking to them but I suspect they wouldn't take kindly to lectures from the architect of the UK's current ills.

A.Williams, Cradley Heath,

Few people listen to Gordon Brown these days. Like George Bush he is well on the way to becoming a has-been.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

Openskies is an excellent example where recent US commentators are calling for the 2nd part not to be ratified.

Will EU and UK politicians be strong enough to in turn reverse the 1st part from last year and kick new US carriers out of LHR if the US government adopts this protectionist agenda?

David, London, UK

Obama must be thinking 'who is this guy?' I wonder how long before he takes to saying:"Yo, Brown!" this is 2008 and he is a falied disappointed man, not 1953 and Winston Churchill. More evidence of the 'flawed character' that was leaked from number 10 in Blair's day?

David Gardiner, Wolverhampton,

No To the NEw World Order.
Wake up people!

mr Dometrios, Swindon,

Problem with so called global free trade is it does nicely for some large business and directors but noyhing at all for jobs. There is no such thing as a level playing field.

C Darken, Nantwich, UK

The last thing Obama needs is advice from Brown!!

Steve, Coleshill, U.K.

It would be a good thing if the USA decided to join the human race. It is a big world out there and whilst the USA saw fit to go down a path of ,"Go it alone",It still expected the rest of the world to listen to it. Come on Obama, dip your toe in the water of humanity, it's lovely to have friends.

Paul Clyne, Redditch, UK

That's right, Kevin from Chicago. You tell 'em - there's absolutely no need to be accountable to the rest of the world or pay any attention to anyone else at all, as America's financial regulation and controls have been working so beautifully so far without assistance...

oh wait...

Liberty, London,

I don't think Mr Brown is different from everybody else by taking the early opportunity to advise the incoming President Elect. Will it be considered? I'm sure but will it make a real difference to Mr Obama's stated agenda, I doubt it. Mr Obama has a clear agenda of change, listen and adapt Mr Brown

Paul, Locarno, Switzerland

Kevin - if you dont want a global society then why are you trying to invade just about every country to force the American way on them.

Tom, Reading,

Kevin from Chicago: I have two words for you:

Smoot-Hawley.

Neil, London, UK

It's all talk and mirrors designed to stop people finding out that what is being fixed was partly broken by him.Physician hea.l thyself first

rogerb, bridport, uk

Free trade? The US has always been protectionist, sometimes in subtle but effective ways. And how come most of the UK utility companies are now foreign-owned. As ever, the UK takes all the disadvantages of whatever the latest ecomonic fashion is, while othes plunder the UK consumers pocket?

Name withheld, Manchester,

We don't want your damned "truly global society." Brown and the other frontmen for the Eurocrats are banking on what they presume to be Obama's naivete to lead us like sheep under the control of the IMF, the World Bank, and Brussels. I hope Obama has the guts to tell Brown to shove it.

Kevin, Chicago, USA