Anyone out there want to help me rearrange the way the world works?

I have an idea that I think could put the planet on a much better trajectory toward the future, eliminate a lot of present day conflicts, help the environment and reduce the chance of nuclear holocaust.

I say ... we put kids in charge.

Last night we had a dinner party ... six adults and five kids. We grown-ups are all old friends, and although five different countries were represented at the table everyone over the age of 10 speaks enough of a common language (English in this case, as it is my house) to discuss issues, tell and get jokes and compliment the chef on his wonderful presentation. (Mark made this tasty soup that had little parcels of pork and stuff wrapped in cabbage leaves and tied with a string of lemon grass. Yum.)

The kids, however, hadn't met before and spoke not word one of anything mutually comprehensible. Mine are limited to a bit of Creole, English and Gibberish, while the guest kids speak only German.

And, you know what? This was no problem at all. There was not a moment of uncomfortable squirming for a topic or misunderstanding over control ... remote or otherwise.

The bigger kids, all German and not mine, played with the little ones, shared toys, drew pictures, looked at books, watched films, ate dinner, laughed and had a good time. The little ones, both mine, showed off, allowed themselves to be packed around and patted, shared toys, explained plots in painstaking detail, laughed and had a good time.

Now, if Kim Jong Il and GW Bush could be replaced by a couple of six-year-olds couldn't we be building a snowman in Pyongyang this winter?