CHAPTER FOUR

THE FAILURE OF GOVERNMENTS

An analysis and comparison of the progression of war from ancient times to the present, concludes that the cause and extraordinary cost is due to what can only be analyzed as a relentless global madness.

One might comprehend if thousands of years ago hunters and gatherers attacked each other because food was scarce and one group had more than the other; or, if one group had arable land to grow food, and the other did not; or, if one group was more advanced than another and knew how to acquire and use land to develop farms and cities. Instead of learning from advanced people, marauding tribes would fight and take the crops, and destroy the land so no one had food in the months and years to come.

As civilization became more sophisticated, instead of choosing peace over war, people used their knowledge to produce iron for weapons and armor. To this day, huge profitable industry thrives on the manufacture of weapons and munitions, unimaginable in early times "Nations spend more than half their revenues to kill each other's citizens" wrote philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1957. The key word for the failure to live in peace is the establishment of “nations.”

We have the opportunity to learn the truth about the paradigm of war, as we live in a history-making period of a war in progress. The U.S. Constitution in Article I, Section 8 (11-16) permits only the Congress to declare war, raise and support armies and a navy, with appropriations for no longer than two years.”

Did the Congress declare war on al Qaeda’s leader Osama bin Laden and his gang of terrorists? If al Qaeda is not a sovereign nation was it lawful to send troops to Afghanistan that did not attack the U.S.?

This military action might be a violation of the Constitution and world law. Would the U.S. Supreme Court hear a case against the government. Will the international court bring action against the Bush administration as war criminals?

While there is no question as to defending the United States from future acts of terrorism, the President continually refers to the “war on terrorism” and bestows upon himself the dubious honor of being a “war president.” He chose to ignore world opinion, and strangely enough did not seek advice from his father, former president Bush-(41) who had foreign relations experience. Instead he relied on the Father of his religious faith.

On November 27, 2002, 14.5 months after the devastating attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Public Law 107-306. was enacted. The purpose was to determine why the nation was unprepared, and how to avoid future attacks.

An able panel comprised of five Democrats and five Republicans came together to present a plan to reorganize intelligence and security agencies to prevent future attacks. Their comprehensive 428-page book “The 9/11 Commission Report” provided details of this tragic event, with recommendations for changes in all departments of the government. It is incomprehensible that their measures have not been followed to the letter.

The Bush-(43) invasion of Iraq lacked substantial intelligence connecting Saddam Hussein to al Qaeda. Dick Cheney recently reaffirmed the report that the CIA told the president, it was a "slam-dunk" certainty. In fact, terrorists in the 9/11 attack were from Saudi Arabia, from which Osama bin Laden’s family wealth originates and he uses to fund al Qaeda. The connection between the Bush and royal families in the middle east might also be a defining factor.

The attempt to re-organize U.S. intelligence agencies has been floundering, as new directors come and go; Homeland Security has proven to be anything but secure as seen in the Katrina hurricane disaster. Federal Emergency Management was so ineffective that three years later the gulf states have not fully recovered.

The department of Homeland Security, and the Patriot Act have brought into existence a diminution of freedoms, with unlawful spying on millions of citizens in violation of the Constitution’s provision of privacy and recently new unconstitutional authority to interfere with the balancing power of the judiciary branch.

Neither Congress nor the President have the duty or the power to bring democracy to the world. We would need to know the exact wording of the declaration to invade Iraq to learn exactly what Congress was told. We learned of the lies regarding weapons of mass destruction, but do not know why Congress continued to support the president’s request for even more funds, when the United Nations and other sources repeatedly said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Congress and the President are stubbornly “staying the course,” as over 3,000 American troops and untold thousands of civilians have been killed and maimed, as casualties continue daily. Today marks the fourth year since the invasion, longer than U.S. participation in World War 11, with no end in sight.

Despite our military might, the mission has not been accomplished as Bush-43 boasted a few weeks after the invasion. We have not prevailed, but worse, caused a civil war between Sh’ias and Sunnis, destroying the infrastructure and the lives of millions of Iraqis. Moreover, the lack of intelligence regarding the insurgency is further evidence of unconscionably poor planning and preparation.

Why were American intelligence agencies and special military units who were trained for covert operations unable to devise a mission including all of the world’s national security entities to capture Hussein and bin Laden? These conditions make it obvious as to the need for all of the Congress and the President to resign, and in the interim of planetary transition, members of the 9/11 Panel should take control. Congress should take full responsibility for its actions and resign along with the President.

Equally difficult to understand is how the generals of the most powerful military in history could have been convinced they are defending America by invading Iraq. How does that action pertain to finding the terrorists who planned the attack on the World Trade Center in New York? We were told that the search was in progress in Afghanistan. No mention of the connection of Iraq to the terrorists attack of September 11, 2001 was made at that time.

We are immersed in the history of soldiers’ bravery on the battlefields and the brilliant generals who led them. We are all brainwashed into glorifying false patriotism which in truth was and continues to be individuals’ lust for power. All through history ordinary men responded to the call to arms from their governments and monarchs, as a normal event in life as if it were a sport or contest. They marched off to the battlefields. Unlike ancient times when kings led their armies into battle, modern generals and their aides remain behind the lines planning strategy.

Egypt and Mesopotamia (Iraq) before 2000-1000 BCE were agricultural societies, ruled by divine kings, supported by military aristocracies and a powerful class of priests in strong religious systems. With such advancement, how did the notion of war dominate over the idea of peaceful dialogue between governments to resolve disputes?

Four hundred years pass before the Age of Reason begins in 610-480 B.C.E, philosophy and science originate with seven wise men, Thales of Miletus, Anaximandr, Anaximenese, Pythagoras Heraclitus, Parmenides and Empedocles. From these thinkers came theories of what the world is made of, mathematics, music, medicine, astronomy, the harmony of opposites, the origin of man, the origin of striking gold for money, and map-making.

Pythagoras might well have been the world’s first protester. In 532 BC he left his town of Samos, because he could not bear the oppressive rule of Polycrates, who was a close ally of Amasis, King of Egypt.

There is no indication that these philosophers had influence in waging war. How were the rules of war determined and by whom? Where did they learn battle strategies, logistics, the manufacture of weapons. Were wars declared before attempts to settle grievances; how did they start and end?
A brief summary of the history of long-forgotten wars brought on by kings, and their short-lived victories is as follows:
Miletus fell to invading Persians (Iran), who then took Sardis in 544 BC.
Sparta invaded their neighboring tribe of Messenians and reduced them to a race of servants. Sparta was transformed into a military camp, with the goal of education to produce disciplined soldiers. Corinth engaged in trade and was known as the place of amusement.

Greeks were neighbors to the Phoenician city of Carthage, which together with Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 BCE. Athens displaced Corinth and Syracuse brought Athens down. City-states controlled territory of their neighbors. Thebes and Sparta sided against Athens, and when the Spartans won, Thebes switched sides and supported Athens. Greece fell to Alexander and later to Rome. As if to mock the war-makers, most of these kingdoms and empires, city-states and tribes no longer exist.
Then came the age of three of the greatest thinkers in Greek philosophy, Athenians, Socrates, 469-399 BCE, his student Plato 428-348 BCE and Plato’s student Aristotle 384-322 BCE.

Plato, following the earlier Olympian triparte division of the classes of society, wrote in “The Republic” that the ideal was to divide the people into three classes: the guardians (government), the soldiers and the common people, which explains how this inequitable structure originated, so that waging war was an expected aspect of life. In that period, Bertrand Russell says, “Philosophy and science as we know them are Greek inventions.

The rise of Greek civilisation which produced this outburst of intellectual activity is one of the most spectacular events in history. Nothing like it has ever occurred before or since. Within the space of two centuries, the Greeks poured forth in art, literature, science and philosophy an astonishing stream of masterpieces which have set the general standard of Western Civilisation.”

Two-thousand years later we have not evolved intellectually. Far from ideal governments we now have power-hungry, greedy and corrupt governments, and classes have degenerated further into the privileged, violent and apathetic segments of the population. We are no different from the nations that no longer exist. Without deep and permanent changes in behavior and removal of tainted governments we can expect the same in our lifetime.

Apathetic citizens In the United States, have relinquished their voice in self-government yet remain attached to the democratic system of government. There is no such entity except for Switzerland that might have one canton completely democratic.

The United States is a Republic, whose representatives no longer seek the ideas or consent of their constituencies in issues that come before the Congress. They follow their party line, and are concerned with only one goal and that is to be reelected. The United States has the lowest rate of involvement in the electoral process than any other nation, at about eleven per cent for local elections and at most seventy-five percent in national elections. The largest and most consistent number of voters are the elderly. Younger voters rarely come out to vote, low percentages in presidential elections every four years who rarely know the issues, irrespective of the harm the wrong person in office can do.

The people of all governments are supporting officials and bureaucrats paying salaries and lifetime pensions from income, property, sales and hundreds of other taxes on utilities, transportation, etc., (see copy at the end of this chapter of e-mail currently circulated in the U.S.) levied by: federal, state, county, city, municipalities, townships, towns and villages. These bodies are the sub-governments that actually run the country. Do we need so many guardians in the civil service?

Exactly what do the elected officials of these myriad governmental bodies accomplish that could not be achieved by efficient continental management of all public programs by highly educated, paid professionals throughout the world, (Chapter 14 Plan).

In the current U.S. two-party system, the electoral process is so flawed, that voters are frustrated and disillusioned as to the value of their vote. It is no longer viable in a country that in earlier times was made up of European immigrants and their descendants with similar characteristics and cultures. It is now truly a “melting pot” of people from all over the world, with such diversity, that if not managed by professionals as suggested above, only a parliamentary system with multiple parties could be deemed democratic. A parliament could be a temporary solution in the transition period from this unworkable nationalistic system, to professional providers of planetary and continental services.

For a government that is presumed to be the finest example of democracy, the United States is the least equal in campaigning for elective office. In short, if a candidate is not independently wealthy, or does not have access to wealthy contributors, irrespective of a superior education and capability there is no chance to run for office.

The expense is formidable to hire campaign managers, consultants, staff, advertising, access to media, printing of banners, printed material and travel. With no legal limits on expenditures, the largest amount of money decides the winner. Incumbent candidates spend a great deal of the people’s time in fund-raising and for the next election many will raise at least $40 million.

Not only does this preclude the best qualified from serving, but it places the winner in an obligatory position to contributors as periodic investigations and trials of corrupt officials prove. Powerful lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are behind legislation that prevents out-lawing of automatic weapons and hand guns, which are used in killings everyday in the United States.

Currently, members of Congress are under investigation for corruption. Representative (R) David Cunningham was recently convicted of bribery involving lobbyist Abramoff who had unlimited contact with members of congress. At least three others are under investigation. This alone should convince us that we are ready for a new system of government that would be incorruptible, and more efficient.

The system is further flawed by gerry-mandering, when politicians find a way to re-district their states to increase the power of their parties, as manipulated in Texas by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, currently under criminal investigation.

It remains a mystery to anyone who does not have a lust for power, as to what is so extraordinary about being elected to lead a super or even lesser power. For example, in the United States why would individuals be willing to beg for contributions in order to campaign for election.Their opponents are from their own political party, and then they face the opposition party. They advertise terrible things about each other in their campaigns, and if they are nominated, we outsiders are supposed to forget the things they said. If true, why would anyone vote for them?

If elected they must live a life under scrutiny. Their compensation is less than they could earn in the private sector. They must have the temerity to impose their beliefs upon people who were against their candidacy, and cannot avoid polarizing the people with almost every issue and decision.

There are few visible benefits for a U.S. President. Living in the White House for which they need to pay personal expenses; access to Air Force One plane; hosting heads of state at White House dinners; and, having staff people around who address him as Mr. President, akin to “your majesty,” The deference exhibited by the congressional body that is supposed to oversee and balance his power is demeaning in a democracy (republic). The greatest prize must be that the lust for power is satisfied.

A president might not have any military experience, but becomes the Commander-in-Chief, which in the case of the current president, is a frightening probability of what might happen in the two remaining years of his term. George W.Bush, is an example of a leader lacking in wisdom, judgment, and intelligence, who has made life and death decisions based on lies and his personal religious beliefs. His decision to invade Iraq has brought chaos and civil war to the Iraqi people so that conditions are as bad if not worse than under the leader he brought down. The majority of the Iraqi people want the coalition troops (they are now saying "occupiers") out of their country.

Should the security of a nation depend upon the political party in the majority? They have the power to declare war, to decide how vast revenues are spent, and pass legislation which is good for the rich, but not the poor, with only a whimper from the minority party? Unless treason, a crime or misdemeanor is committed there is no way to remove a U.S. president from office no matter how badly he performs, no matter what damage he does to the image of the United States.

Fortunately, the power lasts eight years at most before returning to the life of an almost ordinary citizen. All traces of his presence are removed from the oval office and he returns to a life of little or no importance compared to world attention and adulation of his staff of supporters. If he is disliked, there is jubilation. Then the new administration takes over and if the opposing party gains control, it begins to undo as much of the previous administration's accomplishments as possible.

The best example of the worst behavior was the enormous budget surplus left by the Clinton administration, which the Bush administration managed to turn into a colossal deficit in his six years in office. What it will be at the end of his term in 2008 will be incomprehensible.

What exactly is the role of members of the U.S. Congress? Are they lawmakers? For over two hundred years, they have enacted laws regulating every aspect of living, including what individuals may do with their own bodies, their own families, their own careers, even whom they want as life partners. How many more laws does a civilization need?

The legislative branch of government is supposed to balance the power of the executive branch, but most members have been in office for so many years, they have lost sight of the nature of their duty and oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the Unites States. They have become so partisan that if the president’s party is in the majority, they simply rubber stamp his requests, especially the 2006 Congress, so that the future of the peace and economy of the nation is in great peril.

Anyone addicted to watching television’s C-Span which shows live, sessions of both the House and the Senate, must be under-whelmed by what they seem to be doing. In the end, just what do these elected officials accomplish? Debates and speeches to gain support for legislation are conducted before an empty house. As stated in his book, The Audacity of Hope, Senator Barak Obama (D)IL said, “no one is listening.”

Special committees convene to approve appointments or question cabinet members, but privileged by their status invoke “classified information” or “compromising homeland security” refuse to answer. The committee rarely ask tough questions if the person or agency they are examining is a fellow party member.

The Constitutional fact is that members of Congress are elected by voters in their home states, yet they make decisions that affect the lives of all Americans. That is what happened when they rubber-stamped the Bush-43 administration invasion of Iraq. A change in the Constitution might be to put issues that affect the states in the hands of the House, and matters concerning the nation in the hands of the Senate. Citizens would have a better chance to contact their representatives in both houses regarding proposed legislation, instead of the nit-picking that takes place to agree on the same legislation which is costly and a waste of time to enact important law.

Next we look at local governments in the U.S. Governors for each state; mayors for a multitude of cities, villages and towns; county presidents; and, township supervisors, most duplicating services that few accomplish efficiently, some with corruption, at enormous public cost.

Even more astonishing are nations that have parliaments, among them, England, Spain, Monaco, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Thailand and a few smaller nations, who continue to maintain monarchies at great public cost for palaces, castles, country estates, and the privileges that attach, for the sake of tradition. These monarchies should be ended. Monarchs could retain their personal real property and wealth, and during the transition to a planetary system, if the people agree, maintain their royal households before becoming global citizens. Monarchs have been deposed many times in history, most fatally, by their own families. Heirs to some thrones have been restored, recently in Spain with the coronation of King Juan Carlos.

Monarchies, despotic political leaders and insurgents are the forces that since recorded history have caused wars, inexpressible violence and destruction. THINK, by reinventing the entire global structure so that there will be no nations, there will be no uncontrolled authority to order invasions. Improved education will enable global citizens to develop wisdom to live together with neighbors as friends, not enemies.

As suggested in previous chapters, there is no logical reason to believe that current governments cannot be systematically disbanded. It has happened throughout history; nations conquered nations and changed the rules; coups from within, then they, too, changed the rules so that enemies once friends, and friends once enemies formed new alliances.

The history of war exhibits no rational reason for humanity to bring such horror to each other. We must examine violence of governments against governments, not people against people, not for sustenance, but only to annihilate a culture or civilization that refuse to accept an imposed way of life contrary to their own belief.
The major threat to the planet is the fanatic followers of Islam who want to conduct jihad against nations and all believers of religions, including their fellow Muslims, that do not agree with their religious extremes.

New oil-rich nations are planning to influence developing nations to accept their political ideologies, which poses another threat to peace among all nations.
THINK - how the same violent pattern of nation against nation will continue until it is too late to save the planet. Notwithstanding, the historic warriors and generals of all of the wars, from ancient times to George Washington, to 1848 when Guiseppe Garibaldi participated in the turmoil in Europe, to Robert E. Lee, to Pershing of WWI, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Montgomery, Rommell of WWII, Colin Powell, and many more, nothing changed in history in man’s inhumanity to man. It is in progress at this moment.

THINK - of a planetary system without governments, but with administrators of departments who are employed to prioritize public services for continental citizens. Each continent would have a panel authorized to make contracts and bids as agreed upon, and with the direct consent of the people.
THINK - how civilization would advance if there were only six languages, one for each continent, (Antarctica would be global) for the purpose of communicating without translators.
THINK - how we would agree to retain and celebrate cultural differences as we travel throughout the planet, just as we do today.
THINK - how the tremendous cost of duplication of government bodies throughout the world, their symbols of power, waste and corruption, that could be used instead to fund all of the basic needs and pleasurable activities of all of the people in the world.
THINK - how recent changes in ideology and geography occurred in our lifetime with fewer dire results than that of war.
THINK - of how current databases and new technology can make practical physical changes by removing national borders; accounting for natural resources and distribution of production; and, fewer bureaucracies that can make it easier to establish and maintain a new planetary system.
A new system of self-government is needed NOW. An unintended subtle message came from 2007 budget hearings which subsequently provided huge tax cuts for the petroleum industry. In opposition to the tax cut, Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein produced a chart showing budget allocations needed for entitlements such as social security, medicare and other benefits for lower-income people. One could see Republican Senator Orrin Hatch salivating at the possibility of reduction of these benefits in the next Republican Congress. Do Republican members of Congress think they are there to favor corporations or to serve the American people?

An important by-product would be the absence of the Internal Revenue Service, which is intrusive, aggravating and unlawful in many respects, especially in violation of "equal under the law." Loopholes are designed for the super-rich, while low and middle-income wage-earners fear audits. Myriad pages of instruction to file correctly require the expertise of costly tax lawyers or tax service businesses. Taxes would only be collected if revenue from natural resources falls short of allocated budget expenditures. As suggested earlier, continental banks would initiate an efficient system of billing taxpayers according to percentages of specified income, (no loopholes for deductions by special interests)..

The following poem has been circulated through e-mail:

“At first I thought this was funny...........then, I realized How True it is!!".
Tax his land, tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor, tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow, tax his goat,
Tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his ties, tax his shirts,
Tax his work, tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco, tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his booze, tax his beers,
If he cries, tax his tears.

Tax his bills, tax his gas,
Tax his notes, tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone, we won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance TAX,
Hey maybe you'll get a refund!!
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax Gasoline Tax (50 cents per gallon here)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax Interest expense (tax on the money)
Inventory tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road usage taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
Oh and we must never forget Capital Gains Tax

COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What happened?