ANARCHY VERSUS DEMOCRATIC WORLD GOVERNMENT

Reviewed by Roger Kotila, Member, W.C.P.A.

When I received Dr. Glen Martin's essay, Anarchism versus Democratic World Government, I was immediately curious. Could this be the next big idea for World Federalists?
Dr. Martin is Secretary General of the World Constitution and Parliament Association, best known for drafting, over a period of 30 years, the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (CFE). A small but growing group of international activists is promoting this Constitution as a replacement for the United Nations Charter in order to better facilitate the establishment of a democratic world government and a world parliament.
These activists are in a situation not unlike that of the American authors of the Federalist Papers. In 1787-88 American patriots argued for the acceptance of the US Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. Now, world patriots are advocating an equally revolutionary change. Could new texts, like the strongly worded Anarchism versus Democratic World Government, be the foundation for a World Federalist Papers?
A Failed World System of Anarchy
In Martin's view, the current world system is failing because of its basic anarchistic nature. Anarchism, let us remember, is a doctrine that views government and laws as undesirable. Global anarchy, Martin contends, is the basic cause of endless wars and militarism, environmental crises, poverty, misery, and more. His analysis looks at the role that sovereign nation-states and big multinational corporations play in allowing, or promoting, anarchy at the global level.
Unaccountable Power?
Currently, at the global level "might makes right," for there is little or no enforceable world law. When an international law is broken, only weaker individuals, organizations, or countries are at risk of being held accountable.
Martin observes that multinational corporations are often beyond the legal reach of any particular national government and accuses them of intentionally lobbying to preserve this very situation. As big businesses see it, a lawless world allows them to remain unaccountable for actions taken in the quest to meet their own selfish needs.
Martin explains: "For the last 40 years, the propaganda coming from the big corporations has been antigovernment (anarchist) propaganda. They tell us that the source of our problems is 'big government' that takes our taxes and inhibits business enterprises, creativity, etc.
"...The modern world system has generated vast concentrations of private, corporate wealth that operates in secret from the public in an undemocratic and unaccountable fashion. Corporations...operate not out of concern for the environment, democracy, or the public good but to maximize profits for investors, regardless of the consequences. They also operate in cooperation with imperial nation-states to dominate and control cheap labor, resources, and the wealth-producing process worldwide.
"Study of this world system shows that the two fundamental presuppositions of bad government are monopoly capitalism and the sovereign nation-state... Therefore, we can create true democracy and true good government only on the planetary level."
Horrid History of the Sovereign Nation-State
As Martin states, it is not just "Big Money" at fault for our modern world's deadly mess. The sovereign nation-state is equally part of the problem. "Nations began the race for domination of the wealth and resources worldwide...with the horrid history (continuing to this day) of wars, conquests, and colonialism. Thus emerged the modern system of territorial nation-states -- all in competition with one another for wealth, military power, and spheres of hegemony."
It is a grim analysis: "Nations are impelled to militarize, to operate through a secret foreign policy, using 'intelligence' gathering, diplomatic deception, treaty alliances, and economic, political, or military coercion to secure their control over the wealth-producing process..."
Martin concludes, "Democracy cannot flourish within this system, since governmental secrecy, militarism, and lack of civilian oversight are entirely incompatible with democracy."
Is America an example of how the current global system can destroy real democracy? Martin thinks so. "In the US today, we do not have true freedom, nor equality, because the US is not a democracy. It is an oligarchy of the rich (mostly Caucasian males), a propaganda system run by the rich, and a system of injustice and coercion enforced against the poor at home and abroad."
He goes on, "Hence, in the US today, we are in a condition of what I call 'structural immorality'."
Martin bluntly warns us that the modern world system of sovereign nation-states and monopoly capitalism, including the United Nations system, are "outmoded political and economic philosophies." Because of this system, he asserts, we are denied authentic democracy and unable to solve the world's growing problems and crises.
Martin expands, "The truth of the matter is that good government is the only thing that can prevent the domination, exploitation, and injustice flowing out of corporate greed and all other forms of unaccountable power."
"Government is a designed social institution that can be substantially improved through building in checks and balances, citizen oversight, true freedom of information, and democratic participation. It must be 'federated' in a series of levels from the smallest community units, to the largest planetary units in order to preserve citizens' control over their local affairs. The point is not to get rid of government but to create good government."
Dr. Martin feels, "The United Nations is based on the failed assumptions of the modern world system: the sovereign nation-state and monopoly capitalism. Our only option, if we are to have a future at all, is nonmilitary, democratic world government."
He proposes that we replace the United Nations Charter and federate under the Constitution for the Federation of Earth instead. I agree. World Federalists know that a confederation of nations (the UN's structure under the UN Charter) is the same type of system that America's founding fathers decided they must reject. They abandoned the Articles of Confederation for the US Constitution -- and, in doing so, ended the anarchy among the thirteen original states.
The Birth of the World Federalist Papers?
Recognizing that our failed and destructive world system not only breeds war, but also casts a shadow on democracy itself, it is hard to disagree that a democratic world government is the logical solution.
That's not a new revelation. While working under the pseudonym of "Publius," Hamilton, Jay, and Madison worked tirelessly to write and promote s eries of 85 articles, the Federalist Papers, in which they offered a democratic federal government as a solution to the anarchistic conditions of their time. They promoted the US Constitution as a means for the peaceful and prosperous coexistence among the United States of America. Isn't it time that we now embark on the "World Federalist Papers"* in hopes of producing similar results in our own age?

If Dr. Martin is right about the importance of the Constitution for the Federation of the Earth, and I for one believe he is, the it needs to be introduced to the larger public. Let it be approved or rejected based upon free and open study, discussion, and debate. World Federalists have nothing to lose in such an exercise. Whether others agree with the CFE or not, the very act of engaging in that activity will raise the general awareness of issues that are critical to everyone in our movement.

Where to start? I suggest we all read the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (a.k.a. Earth Constitution) and tell our friends, family, and acquaintances about it. This document has been translated into numerous languages, and is available to be downloaded at www.worldproblems.net.

*Celebrating the 250th birthday of James Madison, former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy (Honorary President of the World Federalist Movement), called for an International Federalist Papers. Would he have meant World Federalist Papers? -- Note from TDWF Editor