THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: Many Changing Governments

It appears that major governments are changing hands

and public policy directions in many places at the same

time.

Most notable perhaps is our own federal government,

following an historic national election in which Donald

Trump returns to the White House four years after he

was defeated for re-election in 2020.

But major governments, have suddenly changed, or are

about to change in all regions of the world, including 

Germany, France, Syria, Canada and South Korea.

This follows recent earlier government changes in

Scandinavia, The Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy,

Poland, Argentina, Brazil and Japan.

In  most, but not all, cases, the changes have been the

replacement of governments on the left with

governments on the right —- following the global

conservative tide of the past decade among democratic

nations. Many significant elections have seen voters

responding to center right.voter paries and leaders.

This does not prove that conservatives have all the

answers. The failure of some major center-right

governments, such as the Tory government of Great

Britain illustrates the growing voter realization htat 

governing any large nation, especially ones with 

diverse or non-homogeneous populations is becoming

harder and harder to do.

It does not seem that the problem is representative

democracy whether its form be a republic like the the

U.S., a constitutional monarchy, parliamentary

democratic state, or any ither democratic form which

enables its citizens to choose their leaders  through

voting.

The main problem seems to originate in the various

current systems of delivering public services and

responding to public needs in an effective and timely

manner.

The current conservative trend has come primarily

from voter  reaction the long-term failure of leftist 

models which arbitrarily redistribute resources,

over-regulate enterprise and inhibit free markets 

with resulting inflation, unemployment and

unstable economies.

The most notable example of a new approach is

now going on in Argentina, a nation with many

natural resources, but a long-term chaotic economy

due to Peronist oligarchial governments which always

fail to serve the Argentine public and its interests.

Under President Javier Milei, decades of  destructive

public economic activity are being rapidly replaced with

libertarian conservative policies, and in a remarkably

short period of time, his “chainsaw” approach is

getting positive economic results, albeit with some

short-term hardships.

Incoming U.S. President-elect Trump has promised

his own “chainsaw” approach to the progressive

economic policies and centralized regulatory delivery

of public services,  but so far, these are only promises.

Whether his policies will work remains to be seen.

Tax cuts without also lowering public expenditures 

has not worked in the past. Creating more and more

public debt only ensures long-term instability.

So-called Keynesian economics, once  a fashion, no

longer works.

As the new year of 2025 begins, more new changes 

of government are likely to appear. No government

will be perfect, but the quest in democratic nations

for better government has not ever been more urgent.

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Copyright (c) 2024 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved. 

THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: A Post-U.S. Election World Ahead

While Americans were understandably preoccupied

with the U,S, national elections in the weeks leading

up to November 5, and also with digesting the results 

since then, the rest of the world went on with its varying

own  interests and events, albeit also keeping an eye on

what voters would do here.

Previously, many Americans, and the U.S, media, took

a close interest in events in the Mid East, Ukraine and 

in China and its neighbors.

What, if anything has changed in these international

hotspots?

In Ukraine, both sides increased their attacks on each

other, employing new and more provocative weaponry.

Mr. Putin has revived threats of employing nuclear

weapons against Kyiv and some of its European allies

who supply it with  more serious weapons, especially 

Great Britain.

President-elect Trump has told both sides he will force

an end to hostilities in the war when he takes office,

and both Mr. Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky

appear to be positioning themselves for a change in the

U.S. government on January 20. Both sides seem to

be preparing for a diplomatic resolution, and for the

first time, Mr. Zelensky has said he was willing to trade

territory for peace — if it is accompanied by security

guarantees by the NATO country members. Mr. Putin

has opposed NATO membership for Ukraine, but has

not negated a non-membership security arrangement.

Meanwhile, combat and drone/missile attacks continue.

in the Middle East, a temporary ceasefire on the Israeli-

Lebanese border has begun with the agreement of

Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Lebanese military, and

Hezbollah —- at the behest of the U,S, and French

governments. The Israelis had conducted a successful

incursion in south Lebanon and Beirut systematically

destroying much, but not all. of Hezbollah’s missile

capability as well as as eliminating many of its top

commanders — with a goal of enabling Israeli residents

who live in the border areas between the two countries

to return to their homes in safety.

Israel attacked the Hezbollah forces which have been

continually bombing northern Israel, and the ceasefire

is dependent on Hezbollah not returning to southern

Lebanon and resuming their attacks. A U.S.-French

backed international military force is to be stationed 

along the border to enforce the ceasefire.

Mr. Netanyahu has insisted that it is only a temporary

ceasefire. and that Israel intends to destroy fully 

Hezbollah’s military capabilities.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue

their campaign to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Its efforts in north and south Gaza have essentially

defeated the five Hamas divisions and its jihadist

allies, but some hostile forces remain, mostly in what

is left of the Hamas vast network of underground

tunnels. Although most of its commanders have been

eliminated, Hamas holds 100 hostages who have not 

been released. It is estimated that only about 60-70 of

these hostages remain alive. Only the release of all

hostages, it is believed, will end IDF activity in Gaza.

President-elect Trump has reportedly told Mr. Netanyahu

he wants hostilities ended in Gaza by the time of his

inauguration — about seven weeks from now.

After considerable delay, the International Criminal Court

(ICC), headquartered in the The Hague, Netherlands,

issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and 

his former Defense Minister Gallant, charging them with

war crimes. Neither Israel nor the U.S. recognize the ICC,

and the charges are regarded to show unfair anti-Israel 

bias. President Biden denounced the ICC action. The U.S.

Congress has begun legislation to bring crippling 

sanctions to the ICC if the charges are not withdrawn.

Several ICC signators, including Germany, France, Italy,

Hungary, and even the Dutch, have indicated they would

not arrest those charged.

Governments around the world, friendly and hostile to the

U.S. quickly responded to the U.S. election. One Middle

East nation promptly asked Hamas leaders to leave

immediately. Others, in anticipation of January 20, 2025,

prepared for significant new directions in U.S. foreign policy.

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Copyright (c) 2024 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.