Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

In many areas, such as agriculture, social policy, and diplomacy, Brazil now serves as model to other countries, especially in Africa. Poor Brazilian families, for instance, are given welfare cash, but only if they keep their children in school – an innovative policy that unites politicians of the left and right.

Just last week, in a sign of Brazil's new clout, Mr. da Silva hosted a gathering of the world's largest economies and chastised the United States for its responsibility in the global financial crisis – which is hitting Brazil, too.

While da Silva still often speaks the leftist jargon of Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, his actions show a will to lead the region with market-driven solutions and to forge a geopolitics that doesn't tweak the Yankee nose.

While the country is still beset with corruption and poverty, Brazil has built a big middle class. ... He's been able to send peacekeeping troops to Haiti, calm the threat of war between Colombia and Venezuela, and deal with a crisis in next-door Bolivia.

...he now sees a role as crafter of a new world economic order. With a landmass the size of the US and nearly 200 million people, Brazil is a global leader in many industries and farm products, including biofuels. It finally deserves a world debut after decades of an uncertain future.

...its newfound respect is on the line as it tries to get a handle on the loss of its Amazon forest, which is critical to stopping climate change. But true to Brazilian pragmatism, many forest communities are being paid to guard against deforestation.