Democrats and World Government

[A18]

Dems only (except the first option)

Feel free to post which ones you support and don't support in this thread

[J-Mann]

I didn't vote, since this was for Dems only, but all of the options except for "none of these" was really crappy.

[opebo]

3 obviously has no understanding of the UN or of international relations.  The UN is a body created primarily by the US, and its main effect in the post-WWII world has been to increase US influence. 

[CollectiveInterest]

What is government?

Do we have world government already? Why does or doesn't the WTO qualify as world government?

What good things could a democratic world government do?

What are your concerns about having a democratic world government?

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

Why does or doesn't the WTO qualify as world government?

I'll take a crack at this one. The WTO is a beauracracy, not a government, though it does have elements of a government. Certainly many governments in the world are part of it, but it lacks some major elements that constitute government - first off it is not sovereign. Not all governments are sovereign, local governments being an example, but even local governments are backed by one sovereign power - only one. The WTO is more of an agreement between multiple sovereign governments, no one government having complete control. The WTO also does not have any way to enforce it's rules - it relies completely on voluntary cooperation between sovereign nations. Also, the WTO has no citizens, residents, or land to rule - only the sovereign nations and the lower forms of government within them do. For those reasons I don't think the WTO is a government.

[CollectiveInterest]

Why does or doesn't the WTO qualify as world government?

I'll take a crack at this one. The WTO is a beauracracy, not a government, though it does have elements of a government. Certainly many governments in the world are part of it, but it lacks some major elements that constitute government - first off it is not sovereign. Not all governments are sovereign, local governments being an example, but even local governments are backed by one sovereign power - only one. The WTO is more of an agreement between multiple sovereign governments, no one government having complete control. The WTO also does not have any way to enforce it's rules - it relies completely on voluntary cooperation between sovereign nations. Also, the WTO has no citizens, residents, or land to rule - only the sovereign nations and the lower forms of government within them do. For those reasons I don't think the WTO is a government.

What enforcement mechanisms does the WTO have?

What countries have successfully bucked WTO rulings?

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

Why does or doesn't the WTO qualify as world government?

I'll take a crack at this one. The WTO is a beauracracy, not a government, though it does have elements of a government. Certainly many governments in the world are part of it, but it lacks some major elements that constitute government - first off it is not sovereign. Not all governments are sovereign, local governments being an example, but even local governments are backed by one sovereign power - only one. The WTO is more of an agreement between multiple sovereign governments, no one government having complete control. The WTO also does not have any way to enforce it's rules - it relies completely on voluntary cooperation between sovereign nations. Also, the WTO has no citizens, residents, or land to rule - only the sovereign nations and the lower forms of government within them do. For those reasons I don't think the WTO is a government.

What enforcement mechanisms does the WTO have?

What countries have successfully bucked WTO rulings?

I don't know about the second, but the first is easy. They don't have any enforcement mechanisms - they rely completely on the sovereign nations involved to voluntarily enforce things(sometimes on other nations, but the WTO itself has no way to force anyone to comply). If all the nations in the WTO suddenly decided not to enforce any WTO rulings, the WTO would be completely powerless.

[opebo]

The WTO is entirely a tool of US policy.  So is the UN for the most part.

[Trilobyte]

I still think a loose EU-style federation that is the way to go. Individual nations keep their sovereignty but the federal state establishes common market, agricultural and fisheries policy, and streamlined customs.

[A18]

Why does or doesn't the WTO qualify as world government?

I'll take a crack at this one. The WTO is a beauracracy, not a government, though it does have elements of a government. Certainly many governments in the world are part of it, but it lacks some major elements that constitute government - first off it is not sovereign. Not all governments are sovereign, local governments being an example, but even local governments are backed by one sovereign power - only one. The WTO is more of an agreement between multiple sovereign governments, no one government having complete control. The WTO also does not have any way to enforce it's rules - it relies completely on voluntary cooperation between sovereign nations. Also, the WTO has no citizens, residents, or land to rule - only the sovereign nations and the lower forms of government within them do. For those reasons I don't think the WTO is a government.

What enforcement mechanisms does the WTO have?

What countries have successfully bucked WTO rulings?

Do you actually believe your prediction map?

[CollectiveInterest]

In what thread would it be appropriate to discuss this?

[A18]

This one's fine