Wisdom

In finances, be strict with yourself, generous with others.- Maimonides, "Yad: Deot"
Reprinted with permission from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.

A New World

For many years now there has been talk of a new world order, a global government if you will. There are proponents and opponents to the idea. Is a world government a myth or a very near possible future?

A close look at the facts tells us the people behind the scenes have a lot of power and will get their way in the end. If you believe I am tilting at windmills as a conspiracy nut; then let me set you straight on a few things. We are closer than you think.

The European Union is real. The standard monetary unit in Europe is the Euro. They have a regulatory agency to standardize power, energy, pollution, greenhouse gasses, and control of an entire banking system. The union was voted on by the individual nations and now they have no choice but to abide by the rules. Just as in the United States, a European nation cannot opt out of the union now. They are a few steps closer to a central government with the individual nations controlling local affairs, but under the union’s direct control and scrutiny. In the end, will they be little more than member ‘states’ of a large nation?

As in Europe, North America is coming closer to a one government super nation. The gates have been opened by acts such as NAFTA. Soon, we could see a real move to join the United States with Canada and Mexico to form the North American Union. The three nations could also end up being only member ‘states’ with a very strong central government in control. There had been talk in the past, but now there is a foundation for it.

Several African nations have also been toying with the idea of changing their loose affiliations and joining together in a strong union for economic reasons. Once this trend starts, the rest of the continent would have little choice but to follow suit.

Don’t forget about OPEC and the Arab League of Nations. At this point they are an empowered economic confederation, but the political implications are visible daily. Almost every other nation in the world vies for a favorable standing to ensure an ample supply of oil.

After three continents move into the ‘mega’ nation status in the form of unions or confederations, and a fourth area already in existence, the remaining countries would have little to no choice but to form their own. With a mere handful of controlling governmental bodies in place, it is only a short step to a further reduction in the power structure to construct one all powerful, all controlling body. In other words, placing a capstone on the world pyramid of nations and finalizing it. You can forget about the United Nations!

You may think the formation of confederations and unions is not a major step toward an overseeing government, but think about how the United States began. When the American colonies broke free from England, the central government was little more than a servant to the individual states. Over the course of a few years the power of the federal government became the controlling factor and the states became the servants. Any doubts to the contrary can be quashed by the civil war in the 1860’s. Just look at the nation’s structure now and you see the states bend to the will of the federal government, not the other way around. Many laws and statues set in place by states have been overturned by the highest court in the land or congress. We are no longer the ‘United States of America’, but instead the ‘American servant states to the federal government’. If this can happen to a nation formed on state’s rights, what would happen to other countries not so formed?

With this type of standardization, many personal freedoms could end up on the chopping block under the headman’s axe. On the other hand, the chances of great growth could more easily come to be. With a unified, central agency in charge of fields such as energy, medical and advancing technologies, duplication of effort may be a thing of the past. But, then who would decide what a worthwhile enterprise is and what is not? Often duplication of effort has yielded greater advances than a single train of thought or action.

The ability to travel anywhere in the world as easily as we now move from one state to another has a tantalizing appeal. Knowing when you get there, the electrical, transportation, legal and monetary systems would all be the same as at home. But which system would it be? With all the cultural and religious differences we have in the world today, what standard could be implemented to make everyone happy? Or would it be up to the favored and privileged few?

Could a world government really cure diseases, end hunger and stop war? Could it enlighten people to individual differences and ensure all people are viewed equal, without discrimination? Somehow, I doubt it. The thought of medieval Europe comes to mind. Enlightenment and personal freedoms were controlled by small minded individuals. Culture came to a halt and stagnated, i.e. the dark ages. If your memory is not that long, look back less than a century ago to Europe. The entire continent controlled by either a totalitarian or communistic government. With the common citizenry scrutinized and controlled under the brutal thumb of secret police.

As hard as it is to admit, humans have always fought to be different. As sad as it is to say, many of our greatest advances came by way of war and conflict. Improvement and innovation come less from mandate, but rather from necessity or sheer luck and accident. Would a controlling government help or hinder?

Nations, just as individuals, strive to stand out. Would a world government fertilize growth or plow us into stagnation? Would the seeds of improvement flourish or decay into descent and discord? Would the resources now put forth into military development go toward improving human life or to further control the population? A few countries come to mind, both past and present.

During the ‘cold war’ years we saw what an all controlling government was like and few of its short falls, at least until the end. Do we really want a world controlled to the point where revolt is the only means of freedom? Would this type of government lead to chaos and anarchy or to everyone living a George Orwell novel?

Take a step back and see what we have and what it could be. Most systems of government have both good and bad points, but too much power in the hands of a favored few individuals almost always lead to a bad end for everyone else. Can we really afford to take the chance?

As power corrupts, total power corrupts totally.


Ed Williams
©

You

With all the good and bad going on around the world today, remember there is only one you.

Ed