World Federalism, War And Conflict
The idea of World Federalism has often arisen after periods of war, as people try to imagine a way for humanity to live together in peace. The two world wars of the 20th century have inspired ensuing waves of world federalist thinking. In the aftermath of the Second World War, in particular, the idea gained massive popularity in many parts of the world. Early World Federalists reasoned that peace could not be dependent upon mutual deterrence, because sadly the arms race is likely to eventually come to a tragic end. True and lasting peace can neither be dependent solely upon the free will of the opposing factions, as disagreements that rise from conflicting interests, misunderstandings and mistrust can always make one of the sides choose again to resort to war.
The Federalist prescription to peace, rather, is appointing a neutral third party as the final arbitrator, who bears the responsibility and possesses adequate powers to effectively restrain any violence and thus maintain peace. Such a powerful third party, in turn, must be democratically accountable to the different sides and constitutionally bound by a rule of law. Democracy does not eliminate disagreements, disputes or even hatred among individuals or groups, but it sends them to resolve their conflicts in non-violent routs such as courts and party politics.
Furthermore, many of the causes of conflict would be removed by having a democratic world government and by regulating the global economy and protecting the global environment. Violence is very often a response to injustice (which is also a type of violence) and much of the violence in today’s world can be seen as a response to the glaring injustices which people see around them. A more just global system, in and of itself, will lead to less violence in the world.