Sovereignty

Does sovereignty of a country still exist?  This is something Julie has been wondering for many years.  In this podcast she gives some reasons why she feels sovereignty is losing its strength.  

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Hi there, Julie Finishali again with another episode of A World at War with Itself. Today I am talking about an unusual subject, but one I feel very strongly. The subject is sovereignty. You know, the rights each nation has to govern its own country. You might wonder why I am covering this subject, but over the past ten years there has been an increase in many nations of people claiming they want to make their country great again. At no time is there given an explanation as to what these people are trying to achieve, nor how they will go about it, but they want to make their country great again. I have a question. Why? What is the reason for this desire? Is it to return to the way things were run in their country when they were younger? Because if it is, then I would like someone to tell me what things were done then that are better than what is being done now. What has been achieved in my lifetime of eighty plus years is miraculous. We can reach every part of this planet within twenty four hours, whereas it took my family six weeks to get from England to Australia in nineteen fifty two. Does everyone really want to go back to those days or would they prefer to travel and arrive quickly so they can enjoy their holidays on the other side of the planet? Would they really like to return to the medications that were available in the nineteen sixties and the inability to cure so many diseases? Of course not. Now the planet has cures for most old fashioned maladies that cause people to die when young. They wouldn't want to lose those cures. As you can see, those people who want to go back to the past still want the benefits of the future, but you can't have it both ways. The things of the past have changed. Why? Because they needed to. People were not happy with the way the world was round then, that's why they brought in new ideas and inventions. Of course, not all of these new concepts have been successful, and they have withered along the way. The successful things like larger aeroplanes that get us around the world in twenty four hours, or the new medical equipment and products that keep people alive to a ripe old age have all improved our lives. So what are these people really looking for when they say they wanted to make their country great again? Over the years, this planet has become a place that isn't in harmony. We all have different ways in which we were raised, and because every country is now only a flight away, we are all neighbours. But those differences are starting to annoy. Larger countries which can and do push their weight around, are upset by these other countries. Nations that might be small or were once great still want the right to govern their own place. The population doesn't like being dictated to, and that is the problem. Making your country great again means taking back control of how your country should be governed. There is a problem with this. Having the right to govern the way you want is classified as sovereignty, and that slowly seems to be disappearing. Although the United Nations, once the League of Nations, adopted the concept of sovereignty years ago, there recently seems to be a misuse of the word. I think the Cambridge dictatory gives the best interpretation, which is sovereignty is the power of a country to control its own government. But is this really the case anymore? Since the inception of the World Trade Organization there's been a change in the way governments run their countries. It costs a lot of money to keep a country and its inhabitants alive. Not every nation has minerals or agriculture they can sell. Some countries are overpopulated for its size, and in some places the climate is so fierce it controls what can be achieved. All this can have an effect on how a country can be run. It would seem those countries with the wealth of minerals, agriculture and manufacturing have the monopoly on trade. There are also countries with an educated population who are using new inventions to their own benefit. Since the Second World War, those successful countries have grown and become wealthier. These nations make products and supplies which are sold to other countries. But where do the smaller countries get the money to buy? Nowhere with these new trade arrangements do any countries give away its produce or products. There are exceptions when there is a disaster and it is sent to assist, but the terms of the trade agreements are for selling and buying between the two nations. But that trade is sometimes not even. Some wealthier countries are now making agreements to support poorer countries in the form of the mining of the raw products and turning it into a saleable item. In the long run, the wealthier country gets most of the profit and the poorer country gets a certain amount of new infrastructure and assistance. But and this is the big thing, because the wealthy country is providing the money, the poorer country is beholden to that country. The poorer country can't afford to upset the wealthy country in case the money stops flowing. I am not sure whether you can see where I'm going with this, but it works on the basis that the poorer country is beholden to the wealthy country. If there is a specific demand by the wealthy country, then the poorer country can't really say no. They are not going to cancel the agreement, not unless they have another country willing to come in and take over the arrangement, which can never happen because of the current agreement. So where does this leave the poorer country? Sovereignty means that poor country has the right to control its own government, but now it owes so much to the wealthy country, doesn't it? This is the conundrum that is affecting all those people around the world who say they want to make their own country great again. Their country is so beholden to other countries in the way of trade agreements that sovereignty is becoming a bit weak. Please don't think I'm against trade agreements. I'm not. I believe when they were developed it was the best thing. It was a great assistance to the financially poor countries and helped to put the larger countries on an equal footing. But the concept has been taken over by power and in some cases greed. Now this is where I get on my hobby horse and start promoting an idea. It is not new, and it is a concept that is growing. When is the world population going to grow up and work as one? Surely it is time for all our governments around the world to work together to help us all, not just their own country. I've been saying this for years, that sovereignty is dead. Too many countries owe too much to other countries. That being the case, surely it is time we all sat down and looked at what is happening in the world. As I said in October last year at the beginning of this podcast, the world is in a mess. We are allowing certain groups and people on this planet to run the world the way they want so they become richer. It's working for them, but not for the rest of the world. In fact, as far as the world is concerned, they are just making everything worse. No wonder all these people want to go back to how the world was run when they were young. There was security from what the United Nations was suggesting with sovereignty. Unfortunately, the world has changed. In some ways for the better, but in many others the world population is poorer. We have to realize we can't go backwards. Each nation has to join forces and move forward, becoming the stronger power and developing a cohesive planet where everyone is equal and gets benefits from what the planet gives us. No longer should we allow one nation or business group to take control of things that belongs to everyone on this earth. As a planet we need to work together. Love and help our neighbour. Give up on sovereignty and work as one world. Is it possible? I believe so. Give it some thought. If you agree, start spreading the word. The ripples from a pebble being thrown into a stream grow outwards, so can this idea. And that's it for this week. I will be back again next Wednesday with a further episode of A World of War with Itself. Until then, goodbye.