The False Hope in Government

Don't get me wrong: We need governments and if they fail to give us "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", then we surely can appreciate them giving us "peace, order and good government.". It's even a taller order to expect them to bless us with "freedom, brotherhood, and equality". (Most societies have proven that some of its citizens are more equal than others!)

Most governments in the past have ruled empires and brought great burdens upon its subjects/ Some few have given them perhaps the best this world has to offer. The two most successful empires this world has witnessed is arguably the British Empire and the American Empire. And it isn't that either one was perfect by any stretch of the imagination. The great philosopher, Voltaire, admired the British political system and marveled at the constructive engagement of the market place that he witnessed in London. Here, he noticed that it didn't matter what language or race people had, everyone conversed equally when selling or buying their goods. Charles Dickens wrote a book, A Tale of Two Cities, drawing a contrast between the Old French Regime and the relative peace and prosperity of England. So successful was the British form of government, that the Westminster model was copied around the world. With this form of government and the relative progress of civil rights, human rights and democracy, the British Empire is still remembered as the wealthiest empire the world has ever had. It even provided the example for the Thirteen Colonies to copy as it separated from its English-speaking predecessor. It has been estimated that nearly one-third of the planet's nations came under the control of the British Empire and, from this, nearly half the world's WGP (World's Gross Product). All of this from a tiny island nation.

Succeeding the British Empire was the American Empire. Although having the largest economy in 1872, America became the world's most powerful nation at the end of the First World War. Few people realize that by the year, 2000, the WGP was some 23 trillion dollars and 13 trillion of that was the United States. Although not an imperial nation like the British Empire, the United States developed many commercial relationships in tributary countries around the globe and the relationship was a win-win one for all. Any country refusing America knocking at its door was usually seen as very regressive and even downright foolish. Even after the victories of the Second World War, United States was a magnanimous victor. It rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan and rebuilt many other countries along with it. 

Yet, like all civilizations, preceding it, the Pax Britannica and Pax American are receding. Many nations now despise the U.S. and Britian and some do not even use the American dollar as its reserve currency. Despite the recent economic turnaround, the U.S. dollar is still seen as an extremely weak currency because of the country's massive indebtedness. To be sure, this is a strange development because there doesn't seem to be any other currencies inspiring more confidence. The Euro is seen by no one as a healthy currency and China's yuan has recently been going through its own throes in the country.

One of the strengths of the U.S. was always its national confidence and positive approach to challenges. This is changing. There were two mythologies all Americans believed in: (1) That democracy was the answer to our unstable world's political situation, and (2) that the people are always right in the end.

I submit to you that these innocuous beliefs were never true and are being proved such right now. Democracy is not the answer to this world. As Churchill wisely said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others!". Remember that Hamas, a terrorist group to Western democracies, was elected democratically by the Palestinians! And so did Hitler's government come into power as well during the 1930's in Germany (albeit with the help of thuggery). Right now, a significant majority of Americans are alarmed to realize that a bully billionaire devoid of human decency and who can never apologize is the prime contender for the Republican party. Yet, up to this point, the masses have made him a very credible candidate for the presidency in November. His Democratic rival is almost as unpopular with the electorate as he is. How is democracy serving America at the moment!  Where is its salvation for Americans? And why is this so? Because there is the second myth being exploded.

The notion that the people are always right in the end is also inherently flawed. If the electorate has made a bully billionaire the Republican nominee for the presidency, this speaks very poorly of the collective wisdom of Everyman. All it takes is the ignorance of the public and a gullible, exploitable narrow-mindedness of widespread millions to undermine the very freedoms and aspirations Americans have so long aimed for. Such a hijacking would very quickly destroy the hope of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for Americans voting in a wolf in sheep's clothing. Trade agreements would be canceled, trade wars could ensue, military withdrawals could cause the rise of terrorism on the main land and, at the other extreme, blustery war-mongering could destroy the national budget and easily destroy the superpower influence of the U.S.

What is particularly alarming is the general apathy Americans now have toward its adversaries threatening the peace of all Western governments. Too many see Russia as a harmless world power when the top military brass in the U.S. and NATO see Russia as the major threat the world is facing right now. 

And while Americans are struggling with wedge issues like gay rights, climate change, race relations and national poverty, other forces are very much at work stealing their legacy and weakening their nation. Too many, in other words, are asleep at the wheel. While their patriotism is never doubted, their society is stealthily degenerating. Not only are wages stagnating, one in two Americans are either living in poverty or heading in that direction. Near 50 million Americans are now collecting food stamps. And things are heating up in the country but it isn't climate change related. It is an inability to transcend racial stereotypes and accept fellow Americans as colleagues at arms united by the same aspirations all share together. And to some it appears that animals and the LGBTQ communities are faring much better than the legacy minorities of past centuries.

The brew is being stirred hotter and hotter and it is only a matter of time before even greater explosions occur.

The governments of this world are doomed to fail because they cannot handle the decay from within their countries. Only a future golden age with a world government ruled by a returning Jesus Christ can bring peace to this earth!