Do we really need a global government?

Throughout the long history of Mankind, there have been empires and multicultural societies. The main argument for maintaining these political and social structures has always been the power that came from quantity. The more, the stronger. But, power for whom?

The pandemic of COVID-19 brought back the argument of the power of the quantity. Leaders from all over the world suddenly started to mention the need for “global government”. According to this argument, local societies and states are incapable of managing that kind of crisis on their own. But is this a true and valid argument?

During the period of Byzantine Empire, the landlords (οwners of large tracts of land) who called “The Strong” oppressed smallholders, refused to pay taxes, they even throwing Kings from their throne to make themselves Emperors. The lives of ordinary people in the empire were very difficult. Social unrest was common, political conflicts were expected, and religious strife, such as the Iconoclasm, led to thousands of deaths. The Byzantine Empire was one of the most powerful Empires of History. It lasted over 1.000 years. But the power of the Empire was concentrated in the hands of very few.

During the period of Golden Era of Ancient Athens, despite the fact that there were people who amassed great wealth in their hands (Aristocrats), the living standards of the majority of citizens were very high. Because of the Democracy, the “Demos” (the citizens) held much of political power. The city offered a great deal of social unity and political cohesion, as well as economic prosperity for the vast majority of citizens. Despite the city's self-sufficiency, trade flourished, offering all citizens the opportunity to secure not only the basic necessities of life, but also goods that offered pleasure.

So, what have we learned from the Golden Age of Athenian Republic? That a small democratic political society can offer greater security and «eudaimonia”  than large and multicultural ones.In the history of mankind, there has never been an empire and in general a multicultural political structure that was truly democratically governed. Never. In fact, the larger the society, the smaller the unity. The smaller the social and political structures, the stronger the bounds between the people.

Then, why so many people believe that a global government can offer much more than a state or a local society? Because most people confuse the meaning of cooperation and the benefits that can bring to all people, with the meaning of global government that leads to the concentration of the power in the hands of few, a concentration that, among other things, will mark the end of democracy.

What we truly need in order to manage crises such as the pandemic of COVID-19 is not a global government, but a global partnership, based on mutual understanding and the awareness that we all are humans, despite our differences…