What Do You Want from Government?
WHEN we read the declarations of statesmen and rulers we find that they have a knowledge of many things that mankind really needs to be happy. Politicians know what to promise to get the people’s vote. These facts show that world leaders have generally not been ignorant or unaware of the responsibility in their hands as leaders of the people. But most persons would agree that these needs have not often been supplied. Is this too much to expect from government?
Really, the wants of men and women for them to be happy do not require volumes to be stated. They amount to a few simple, basic essentials. People do not, for example, expect the government to give them all of life’s necessities. Neither do they want a government that regulates every act of their lives. They want freedom to work at an occupation they can enjoy, with assurance that they will always have work to support their families. They desire to have some leisure time to enjoy the fruits of their labor, to live with their families in peace, without fear of attack, robbery or molestation. They would appreciate having a clean, unpolluted environment and clean, uncluttered places for recreation, where the beauties of natural creation and wildlife could be enjoyed.
Men and women, to be really happy, must also be free. They must have freedom of thought, freedom of worship, the liberty to speak what they believe, to assemble together and to act as they see fit, as long as they do not infringe on the freedoms and rights of others.
Would you not be happy to live where you had those freedoms and securities? Only a good government, with the cooperation of its people, can assure them. If you could have free communication, travel and association with people of other nationalities or races, with real friendliness, if you were not suspicious or afraid they were plotting war against you, how comfortable that would be!
Therein lies a problem. Even if national governments were to bring security and peace within their borders, this would not assure peace between nations. It would take a world government to do this.
There is another factor essential to happiness, and that is the health of the people. Until recent times, governments have not done much toward tackling this problem. Of course, happiness is not complete unless a person has good health, and unless those he loves also have health. And no one who is enjoying sparkling health, peace and freedom wants to leave the scene in death. So for real, unclouded happiness, the fear of death would have to be removed. But what government can do this? What government can provide sure and life-sustaining material provisions and at the same time fill the mental and spiritual needs of its subjects? Or, is there such a possibility?
Can any government bring all, or even most of these desirable and essential things to its people? Can any government instill such love and cooperation among its people that the desirable conditions can be brought about? Or do we have reason to believe that progress toward this goal is being made? What does the record of human rulership to date show?