Does government work? For all history, someone had to be in charge. Ancient Greek philosophers led the way. and his student described the duties of citizens and leaders. Democracy was not high on their lists. But effective government was. It meant that leaders had to listen and deliver.

It took about fifteen hundred years to reach the next steps. And that happened after religious wars and rule by kings reached their exhausted end. Philosophers such as of Italy, , , of England, and of France began writing about how the modern state should work.

The question then and now is who governs? And what are the proper goals of governing?

Most of the time, philosophers favored participation by citizens. They described the ‘rights of man.’ Governments could manage diplomacy and civil behavior. Men should be free to pursue their interests.

But if people are poor and have no food, the questions of proper government matter less.

The common theme in , , and is poverty. What was wrong with those countries became even worse when the pandemic hit them. Their governments are not taking care of the people.

Men posing as law enforcement agents assassinated the president in Haiti. Everyone is trying to figure out who is in charge now. Poverty, corruption, and threats to democracy are a way of life. The killing of the president was dramatic. Gangs in Haiti are now everywhere. They rob, kidnap and murder citizens and one another.

Cuba was under the rule of the Castro family for more than half a century. There was and is no political dissent allowed. Hunger and shortages were and are a way of life. The old Soviet Union and Venezuela supported the country. Communism and socialism were the mainstays of those countries. Now, the Soviet Union is gone, and Venezuela is a failed state. The Cuban people have taken to the streets. The only way the government can respond is to punish the demonstrators.

South Africa was a land of hope. Apartheid was the separation of the people by color. It came to an end. Nelson Mandela was the first black head of state. After he left the scene, new leaders were accused of corruption. Many black people stayed poor. Life is getting harder, and looting is taking place. Even South Africans who shop there looted the stores where they shop.

Wealthy nations have problems of their own. But to live without food or a way to earn a living is living at the bottom. Such a life can be said to be a failure of civilization.

Resource: The New York Times