What should be expected from the G20 Conference convened by President Bush on 15 November 2008

After a week in the UK, followed by a week in the USA, and a week of work back in Switzerland, I am in Moldova on a badly-needed break for a couple of days.

In fact, I am even headed to Transnistria in order to get an experience of the last Soviet-style government in the world (well, apart from a few other oddities such as North Korea and Byelorussia), so that we know what to try to ensure is AVOIDED by the G20 as a result of their conference on November 15....!

From that conference, we should expect a fresh wave of globalisation, which I am sure we will all welcome, especially if it includes progress towards a level global playing field through agreements on global standards, frameworks and approaches on such subjects as environmental protection, child labour, health, pensions and minimum income.

Alternatively, we can expect a fresh wave of protectionism eventually resulting in wars - or War - which would in any case be terrible.

The parallels to the end of the previous phase of globalisation, in 1873, are chilling.

Let us not make the same mistakes.

Let us move towards a form of capitalism which includes the possibility of a humane future for everyone in the world by progressing towards a global level playing field for capitalism.

All the problems produced by the current global crisis were caused initially by the WTO´s deliberately avoiding a level playing field - though it is true that these problems were compounded by debased money and by legalising the possibility of gambling with money meant for other purposes and, further, without requiring anyone even to keep track of who was betting how much and indeed whether they even had the money with which to bet. Sphere: Related Content