What was once recurring material in futuristic political theories and the world of science fiction has now been revived by someone quite particular. In an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, Bill Gates considers the United Nations system "a failure" and stresses the urgent need for a world government to combat new threats such as epidemics and climate change.
The United Nations and Its Predecessors
The United Nations was born in October 1945, shortly after the end of World War II. Technically, the UN replaced the League of Nations, which in turn was created in 1920, fourteen months after the end of World War I. The idea in both cases was always the same: to maintain world peace and prevent large-scale armed conflicts. Needless to say, the feeling is that they have not done a great job. The League of Nations lasted a little over 25 years, and the UN had to cede prominence to NATO due to the effects of the Cold War. In other words, at the time of their creation these organizations had war as their main element. And there is no shortage of those who call for their dissolution, or at least drastic reforms that change both their profiles and their objectives. Who joins that list of spokespersons? None other than Bill Gates.
Gates's Argument for a Global Government
Last week, the philanthropist spoke with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and as proof behind his reasoning he invoked the 2009 Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen. That conference has been classified as one of the most spectacular failures in the UN's modern era, and tainted due to espionage activities by the United States, which were revealed through Edward Snowden's files. Gates mentioned that "we have the UN and NATO", prepared for war and security, but also wondered what happens when it comes to epidemics, and how many planes, doctors, tents and other emergency systems are available. Finally, he added that with the existence of a global government, the world would be better prepared.
Is Gates the Right Spokesperson?
This is not the first time someone in a position of power has called for forming a world government, and we are convinced it will not be the last. The underlying question is whether Bill Gates is the right person to make that call. We all know his current activities and strategic investments (some not so positive, to tell the truth), but we also know his past at Microsoft, and for some he never fully left the CEO image. If we set those details aside, the main barrier to such a momentous change is, as always, the political class. Unfortunately, modifications of that high level usually come after tragedies, and our "intrepid" leaders ignore them until it is too late.
