There is not much Germany can do about it but to continue being a peaceful and democratic country using its economic and ‘soft’ power to advance along its own interests the interests of the EU it now leads.

Public diplomacy efforts to project a more culturally sensitive regional outreach merely provide a patina of inclusiveness that covers and perpetuates traditional economic interests associated with the inter-American system that is structured to ensure that wealth is pumped up to the top of the economic pyramid.

But for those of us who are working with corporations to tackle big global problems, the financial reform bill’s provisions raise three important questions: 1. What change are we seeking to achieve? 2. How can we achieve that change? 3. What is the responsible role of the private sector?

One thing we know: the financial, and potentially political, turmoil stemming from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent civil fraud action against Goldman Sachs will be sizeable, not just for its implications on the world’s most influential financial institution – but for the political grease it supplies to