Role of a stakeholder

Forget about "Bretton Woods II," or anything even close to it.

The participating countries have competing agendas. The host country is awaiting a leadership transfer. It would be unrealistic to expect the G20 summit in Washington DC tomorrow to throw up long-term solutions. Not even specifics, for that matter. The world is just not ready to look beyond the present financial woes.

Perhaps the best we can anticipate is general, even rough, principles on concerted responses. We cannot expect a six-hour-or-so official gathering to generate more than a broad consensus. Technical specifics can be left to other people and occasions. But the world cannot afford to wait until some other summit for a shared commitment to working together.