The world moves quickly. President Bush has announced ahead of the G8 summit that the US will phase out its agricultural subsidies if Europe does the same with its CAP. He recognized the role that trade and access to Western markets can play in allowing poor countries to climb out of poverty.

The world seems to be finally turning its back on the institutions and practices developed to deal with yesterday's problems, and to be searching to solve today's problems instead. The CAP represented an attempt both to secure Europe’s food supply, and to mesh its countries into a Europe-wide dependence on each other. It must be seen in the light of two world wars.

There is a case now for supposing that the countries of Western Europe will probably not march against each other again, and that any future wars are unlikely to be marked by prolonged sieges. Given the ability of the rich to help the poor to mutual advantage, perhaps we should be developing institutions and practices in which we support each other instead of shutting them out.

Will Smith at the Philadelphia Live-8 concert spoke of a new "Declaration of Interdependence," a phrase which David Aaronovitch thinks Tony Blair will be borrowing by the end of the week. The new initiative by President Bush is one more step on the road to the reality of a changed world.