What is the ideal kind of government?

DEAR EDITOR:

What kind of government do we want after the next scheduled federal election in 2023?

History is full of different types of governments. We in Canada are fortunate in having a democracy to rule our provincial and federal governments. We are in a multiparty system so we the populace can vote for our party of choice. Yet this can cause hardships, as one party can govern with less than 50% of the popular vote. What can a party do with less than half the popular vote?

Well, the Conservatives squeezed by and formed a majority government in 2011 with barely 40% of the popular vote. Federally, the opposition parties, mainly the NDP and Liberal Party, split the vote.

Perhaps during the next federal election these two parties could amalgamate.

There are so many different types of government from the dawn of civilization. We can trace our democratic beliefs back to ancient Greece in which a ruler by the name of Solon was a benevolent dictator, who introduced a consideration of giving land and wealth to the poor farmers.

Solon toyed with the ideals of democracy, thus it was he who became known as the wise ruler.

Of course, historically the past is full of rulers who wished to rule with an iron fist and subdue their enemies by force.

Sir Thomas More polished a book called “Utopia” in 1516. His thesis was that of a perfect community of a classless society. Along came Thomas Hobbes who toyed with the idea of a benevolent monarch with absolute power.

Yet, John Locke maintained a free enterprise economic system, allowing government to protect private property. During the Midas Great Britain initiated the surge in manufacturing. Other nations copied Britain’s economy system.

To conclude, we in Western states have similar kinds of free markets but right now many of our nations are suffering in an economic recession.

And there are some governments who claim democracy yet rule as tyrants or oligarchy.

Richard Santo

Penticton