The results of this G-20 could create little nascent Pittsburghs around the globe—places where workers will be paid a pittance to toil in unsafe conditions, polluting their backyards while making fortunes for would-be Andy Carnegies. Maybe, like us, they’ll get a nice library out of it. That’s the problem with symbolism. You begin innocently and then suddenly you’re tangled up in unintended meaning. I’m sure the president sees the G-20 as a reward for Pittsburgh’s support as well as a feel-good choice, championing the scrappy little guy, and the publicity it generates may change the image of Pittsburgh forever, which would be a good thing—for our pride, at least. What actually goes on behind those green doors at the convention center and how those policies change the world—and by extension, Pittsburgh—is something else entirely.