The most significant changes, of course, involve Fannie and Freddie, which just five months ago were still subject to 30% capital surplus requirements, a punishment of sorts for their accounting scandals earlier in the decade. (Those surplus limits were lowered to 20% in March in order to marshal the companies' aid in dealing with the mortgage crisis).

FORBES: Help Is On the Way

So this Northern surplus is purely theoretical (irrecoverable accounting accruals), as the South that bought the goods cannot pay back the accumulated dept.

FORBES: For Wrong-Headed Reasons, E.U. Leaders Are Leaning Toward A Greek Exit