Goldman Sachs excels at many things – among them, waging a public relations campaign. Chief executive Lloyd Blankfein's speech to a Frankfurt banking conference yesterday lobbed the odd pot-shot at his German hosts, notably on fair value accounting which Goldman has always robustly defended. Beyond that, his gentle questioning about the usefulness of some financial products and unjustifiable pay might grab headlines, but add very little. Compare, for example, Financial Services Authority chairman Lord Turner's criticism of the UK's “swollen” financial services industry against Mr Blankfein's assertion that banking's ruddy health is crucial for a “vibrant, dynamic” economy.
高盛(Goldman Sachs)在許多方面都很擅長,其中就包括發起公關活動。其執行長勞埃德•布蘭克費恩(Lloyd Blankfein)昨日在法蘭克福銀行業會議上的演講,對他的德國東道主進行了不尋常的抨擊,特別是在公允價值會計問題上——高盛向來是公允價值會計的堅定捍衛者。除此之外,他對一些金融產品效用及不合理薪酬的溫和質問,或許會登上新聞頭條,但幾乎毫無新意。比方說,英國金融服務管理局(FSA)主席特納勳爵(Lord Turner)對英國「膨脹的」金融服務業大加批評,而布蘭克費恩堅持認爲,銀行業的健康對於「充滿生機和活力的」經濟至關重要。將二人的話進行一下對比就知道了。