The obscene spending on weapons and need for a world government

• Worldwide spending on weapons is 20 times spending on aid;
• The vast majority of people do not want big spending on weapons; when was the last time you heard of anyone fund-raising to buy more war planes, frigates, or tanks? It's always governments that want more weapons; why?
• A world military would be much more efficient than each nation having its own. The main factor acting against this is that individual governments (and leaders of governments, eg. Bush, Howard, Blair) want to be big fish in their own small ponds.

The military forces of individual nations could and should be strictly limited by international law.

The advantages are as obvious as they are huge. Greatly reduced spending on weapons and savings could go into environment, education, health, international aid, and other humanitarian or responsible uses.

This would answer the 'rogue states' problem.

Why is so little said about a world military force?

This is a work in progress Notes on possible structure of world military force: Could be much the same as present UN forces. There would need to be some enforcable responsibility on nations to supply forces as required. Any suggestions from readers?

Atmospheric pollution

It is often to the short-term advantage of individual nations to allow atmospheric pollution, while it is disadvantagious to the world as a whole.

Fisheries in international waters

There is no advantage to one nation to try to place controls on fish catches if other nations do not have restrictions in place. There must be some sort of international body in charge.

Nuclear weapons

Many nations see possession of nuclear weapons as security, but for the world as a whole the more nations with nuclear weapons the greater the risk of nuclear war.

International boundaries

If the boundary between two nations is in dispute then there must be a world body to decide the case if justice is to have any chance of prevaling. Otherwise the decision can be made by whoever has the most guns.

Fair shareing of resources

For example, if a river flows through one nation into another there is need for some authority above the two nations to resolve disputes about the equitable sharing of the water.

Also see my notes on this subject under Government.

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