No problem. I've got the olive branch tucked over my ears. Looks good. Sort of like a laurel wreath.

I don't doubt that there are powerful forces out there who would very much like to control everything. 'Twas ever thus. And, indeed, there are factions who wield a lot of power in a lot of places. But despite all the claims, I see no one person or cabal in possession of "The One Ring of Power" (if I may wax Tolkienesque for a moment).

Rather than the colossus of horror that most people try to make of the concept, there is much to be said for a world government, provided it is properly constituted (as in a "Constitution," which delineates what it's powers—what it can and cannot do).

I've recommended it on this forum before, a number of times, but I recommend it again to those who have not read it:   First Democracy : The Challenge of an Ancient Idea, by Paul Woodruff. From a review of the book:

For those who think they live in a democracy, Woodruff, a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin, argues that the ideal of "government by and for the people" was in some ways more closely attained over 2,000 years ago in Athens. Exploring that model of first democracy in depth, Woodruff plainly states its defects (e.g., the exclusion of women and slaves) and outlines its checkered history, while noting its striking features. Athenian democracy was not majority rule, with a disregard for the minority, nor did Athens have elected representatives who were beholden to special interests. Lotteries rather than elections were used to appoint magistrates and council members; juries were very large (and thus hard to bribe). The assembly was composed of the first 6,000 men to arrive on the hill.

The closing critique of the present-day American system ("Afterword: Are Americans Ready for Democracy?") and proposals for its democratization are bracing. Woodruff admires the democratic ideal "because it takes human imperfections into account better than any other ideal of government."

This book will make even jaded readers want to see more of that ideal in action.

The book is an easy read, and I recommend it highly to anyone who assumes he or she already knows what true democracy actually is. Most enlightening!

If Athenian-style democracy (with the imperfections that Woodruff noted fixed) were the basic principle upon which a World Government or "World Order" were founded, this would be a good thing. A very good thing indeed!!

Don Firth

P. S. Note:   One of the things that the Athenians did was to judge how well a political figure performed during his term of office. If he performed well, he could be honored and rewarded. But if he behaved like some of our political figures have behaved recently, he could be banished in disgrace. This judgment was rendered by a jury of 501 citizens, randomly selected by lottery. 501 so there would be no tie votes, and too large to bribe, even if those being judged knew ahead of time who they would be.

I like that idea!!