From The Providence Journal, Friday, July 7.

The G-8 meeting of seven big industrialized democracies plus authoritarian Russia reminded many people of just how dated the organization is. After all, the growing commercial powerhouses of China and India are not members, and nor is Saudi Arabia, whose vast oil wealth makes it (unfortunately) a major player in the world economy. Indeed, the current world financial mess is largely owing to a surge in the price of that grotesquely overused toxic substance.

The U.S.-dominated World Bank (especially) and the International Monetary Fund (less so) continue to do good work in alleviating financial crises and poverty, but a relative decline in U.S. economic power argues that new financial-coordination structures will soon be needed to supplement or even replace them. Other world bodies also need an update, especially including the U.N. Security Council, which time and time again has shown its impotence to stop rogue regimes from doing what they want to do. Consider that in the face of fatuous expressions of concern by other nations, Iran and North Korea are merrily pursuing their nuclear weapons ambitions, however candied over by rhetorical distractions.

Let us hope that the next American president leads the way toward a rethinking of the membership and duties of international organizations. The current arrangements mostly go back to the mid- and late 1940s and are products of World War II and the start of the Cold War.

That's a very long time ago indeed!