Should the world have a single government?

I don't believe it should at all, but do you think it would be effective if the UN was like a parliament? I still don't think it would be good, but I would like to see what other people think...if you could back up your answers, that'd be sweet!

Being here in Europe, I am seeing the results of creating a single government for Europeans and the results are mixed. On the one hand, Europe does usually resolve its conflicts peacefully now. People are more easily able to travel and do business. Ideas, goods, and services move across borders faster. I could see this happening on a global scale if the UN became a more powerful governing body.

On the other hand, in Europe, not everything is rosy with the EU. Many people hate the idea of giving up their national, regional, or ethnic identities to a massive bureaucracy that they see as being removed from their daily lives. Open borders have sometimes caused resentment toward immigrant populations, blamed for rising crime, poverty, and cultural erosion. And getting all countries to agree on a constitution, legal system, and economic policy is easier said than done. And the euro has been the scapegoat for many of the continent's economic woes, such as rising unemployment.

I could also see these problems on a much more massive and troubling scale if we surrendered everything to the UN. Imagine the US, China, India, Brazil, and Russia trying to agree on a common legal system, or trade policy. It's just a pipe dream to expect the world to unite at this point. The UN has its purposes, but world governance is not one of them.

World government is a double edge sword.

On one hand it could reduce the number of regional conflicts.

On the other hand if it were to become tyrannical there would be no place to escape.

It would depend on what kind of government we had and who it was influenced by. Plus, if you think of it, there would probably be a huge war over who should be president/ prime minister!!!

The human race has a long way to go before it is ready for a one world government. We are way too immature for it now. To much war, conflict, and divisiveness.

When all people are able to embrace liberal ideals, without wealth and power being important. We are probably thousands of years from that point.

But the UN is still an important mechanism for world peace. And it will be much better when Bush is gone.

Interesting comments, socialism has yet to work well. There will always be humans that want to work harder, differently than others. There will always be differences in wants and needs and opinions on how to go about getting it.

When I was a child, I asked my father how wars started. He stated When two children are in the sand box and one has something the other one wants and the other will not give it up.

One government would be ultimate power and no two people could decide who should wield that kind of power let alone a world.

The UN wants a global army and global taxes, they are quietly working towards that goal unfortunately.

Remember that Bush didn't make the decision alone to do the things we did. It's easy to blame one person for many things, the problem is bigger than that. Do you wait until evil grows to the point that you have no choice but to fight it at your door? 9/11 apparently didn't teach the people in this country that one attack wasn't isolated and it will happen again. We aren't any more prepared than we were then and we whine about long lines at the airport.

I'd rather see more smaller governments than fewer larger ones.

Ever larger governments have not lived up to the promise of reduced warfare, and that's the only reason to desire them in the first place.

Remember that Bush didn't make the decision alone to do the things we did.

Uh... the last ime I looked he was commander in chief, and he could have single-handedly stopped us from going into Iraq.

It's easy to blame one person for many things, the problem is bigger than that.

Yes, there are lots of people to blame, Cheny, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Libby, Gonzo, etc... But only one had the power to stop it. But they should all be in jail.

Do you wait until evil grows to the point that you have no choice but to fight it at your door?

I refuse to act out of fear. People make bad decisions when they do that. Look where it has led us to today.

9/11 apparently didn't teach the people in this country that one attack wasn't isolated and it will happen again.

Huh? And how exactly do you KNOW this? Or is this something you read on a right-wing blog? We are constantly in danger from many places. That does not excuse the goverment exploiting people's fears to further an agenda that is based on greed and power.

We aren't any more prepared than we were then and we whine about long lines at the airport.

This is true, and you can thank Bush for that. He has done nothing to make us safer than before 9/11.

I refuse to be afraid of the boogeyman...

Skatemore: Interesting comments, socialism has yet to work well. There will always be humans that want to work harder, differently than others. There will always be differences in wants and needs and opinions on how to go about getting it.

Actually it works surprisingly well lots of places. I am quite impressed with the socialized governments of Europe. Sure everyplace has its problems but in many measures these European governments are ahead of the US.

One Government would be able to dictate all aspects of your life in a positive or negative manner - you would have no say-so - smacks of Big Brother and Dictatorship - be careful what you wish for.