The World Bank and the new, new New economy

Two days ago I watched cspan for WAY too long. I watched Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank espousing egalitarian markets, agriculture and food systems throughout sub-saharan Africa with references to a point of view that seemed to embrace systems thinking. Wow? A progressive thinker leading the World Bank? I was cheered up a bit after a week of getting news-smashed in the face every day with the economy.

So I did a little bit of reading about Robert Zoellick, President of the Workd Bank since July, 2007, following (fellow) neo - con Wolfowitz. OK, I admit it, I do not follow the World Bank...at all. But I was fascinated by the rhetoric. Then when I read a bit about his employment history I saw that he is a Republican through and through, down to his campaign contributions http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Robert_Zoellick.php
and then I read he pushed intervention in Darfur http://www.genocideintervention.net/network/pressroom/pressreleases/2006/06/19/385but then also was involved in the White House/ Enron stock selloff scandal http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1758345.stm and was one of the so-called "vulcans" (neo-cons) that signed a letter urging then President Clinton to remove Saddam Hussein. Then, years later, moved from the Treasury Department (back) to Goldman Sachs after Paulson was named Treasury Secretary. Needless to say, an extremely accomplished and well-connected individual. And commited Republican, neo-con "Bush" man. It seems.

What does this mean?

I hope...and I probably haven't done enough research yet, that what it means is that the concepts of sustainable development will cross-over from corporate executives, NGO's and many government employees who truly believe that the efficiencies and opportunities of sustainable development will yield greater margins and make the world a better place. That growth for its' own sake is not a goal, that externalities count....that maybe all this thinking, and more, has made it into the Republican "interior". Maybe, as was suggested in one article, Zoellick was "passed over" for the Treasury top job because he believes in anthropogenic climate change and in a truly egalitarian society that can be created through environmental and social justice. Maybe. And maybe now that government executives and legislators are going to have to engineer the new new New economy, that someone with that mindset may now be in a position to have a positive effect. Maybe. I could be crazy. Help me out here.