We need a new world model

When watching the television mini-series "Rome" some year or two ago, I rememeber a scene in which it was suggested that a law should be made to outlaw war.

Yeah, outlaw war.

Internationally.

And that many hundreds of years ago.

Then there was the League of Nations.

And then the United Nations.

And we got closer--for a while.

Well, the time has come.

After reading the paper today and taking stock of so many world situations like Darfur, Zimbabwe, modern Europe, hell, the United States and our mess and messes, along with the countries that are working like in the Netherlands (read: socialist), the time has long since come for a new world model--a new way to run things.

And here it is--at least suggested. Here are some things we should do, collectively, as a world.

For starters, yeah, outlaw war. Outlaw war and unilateral attacks from one country on another. (Hear that, George W. Bush?). If one country were to attack another, the rest of the civilized world would come down on them.

The fact is, this kind of unprovoked attack is already against international law. This would just be a logical extension of what we're already practicing and believing.

The next thing, Socialize banking, energy, oil, health care, everything.

Everyone in the United States will say this is crazy and crazy talk but it's not.

The fact is, nothing we're doing now is working.

From Russia to, again, Zimbabwe, to the EU, virtually the entire continent of Africa, reallly, again, virtually everywhere, all the old systems are broken.

Governments would have to be reworked, too, of course.

A new model, where they truly work and government officials don't practice graft and cronyism but, instead, practice the good government we need. They wouldn't be taking bribes and scamming money off projects.

Clearly, this is the difficult part.

Rotary International practices and emphasizes honesty and truth, literally, all 'round the world, in nearly all countries. I think they could be counted on to assist with both setting up and maintaining good, working, honest, effective governments.

We need a new order. We need solutions. We need things to work.

Right now, worldwide, they aren't working.

President Obama could and should be the one to start this discussion. He'd be the perfect person, at this time, to begin the thoughts and discussions to this new world we need.

The United States can no longer act unilaterally. We need to work with all the other nations of the world in alliances.

Then, while we're doing all this, let's start talking about how we can all work for everyone's benefit--everyone's business, everyone's health care, everyone's decent living and existence. Instead of pitting ourselves and our countries against one another, why can't we all decide we're going to work together for all our benefit, advancement and progress?

We could all agree that a certain standard of living had to be achieved for all of us, along with health care, education, jobs and mass transportation for all. We'd do away with nuclear arms, eventually, in this ideal world.

The old question from the 60's was "What's the opposite of competition?"

The answer was "Collaboration." (It was an old Shawn Phillips album).

Is it going to happen right away? No, no it's not.

But couldn't we work that way, toward collaboration and solutions, all on one planet?

Shouldn't we?

Because we sure need solutions.

Particularly now.

The current, tired, old model isn't working, that's for sure.



I can dream, can't I?