World Views

 We need global governance. The idea of world government is hardly new, of course.  It’s an enduring dream that can be traced back at least to Bronze Age Egypt and the ancient Chinese Emperors. In the modern era, it has been espoused by many prominent people. Both the League of Nations and the United Nations, despite their limitations, were also incremental steps in this direction.  However, in recent decades the traditional idea of a top-down world government has largely been replaced by the more complex, polycentric, democratic vision of “global governance” – a global system of limited self-governing regimes and cooperative action with respect to specific transnational problems and domains, rather than an overarching, unified, all-powerful political authority.

The game being played in American politics right now is rigged in favor of the wealthy titans: corporations, billionaire donors and high tech leaders. The wealthy titans want only three things: They don’t want to pay taxes. They don’t want any regulation. They want a strong military to protect their interests at home and abroad. Wealthy titans get these three things rapidly and efficiently when democracy is eliminated and replaced by an authoritarian government. One note of caution: A lot of dust is being kicked up in the wake of our declining democracy. Don’t let the dust impair your vision. Keep your eyes open and read Dust in Our Eyes. Barbara Lloyd McMichael’s book review offers us a one-way ticket to the world of how the ultra-rich amass a tax-free fortune. Joe Puggelli writes about one of his all-time favorite books The True Believer by Eric Hoffer. What’s going on with Small Business? Entrepreneurs are being hit the hardest by economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration’s erratic policies.