A Civilization needs 'solid Nations; solid Nations need 'human beings'; human beings need Compassion.

A Civilization needs solid Nations; solid Nations need Human beings. Advanced Civilizations cannot exist without advanced Nations. Advanced Nations cannot exist without the human condition living in Freedom and Equality. The bottom line for an advanced Civilization is the human condition living in Freedom and Equality. Another way of saying the same thing is, without the human condition living in Freedom and Equality, there can be no advanced Civilizations. We can have much technological advances, but, without an equal advancement in Freedom and Equality in the 'human condition', Civilizations 'die slowly'. The human condition living in a 'condition of togetherness', and in Freedom and Equality, is the foundation of all Nations, and the foundation of Civilization. Without the human condition, there is no need for Nations nor for Civilization. Its only because the human condition 'needs' Government, and Nation-hood, that Civilizations come into being. When a Nation declares war against another Nation; its the 'same thing' as if an Individual decides to 'hack-away at his own body' and sets out to destroy his/her 'own self'. How absurd. If we could only 'live' with our 'neighbor', or with 'each Other', we could hope, in the near future, to bring about an Advanced Civilization. Today, the 'human condition', especially the Leaders of all Nations, need more 'human compassion', and to cultivate a less 'hunger' for political power. 'Political power' is 'empty' without human beings.

A Capitalistic economy could not survive without 'economic fictions'; but, they need more duties and responsibilities..

A Nations Capitalistic economy needs economic fictions. Of course, the fictions are the 'corporate structures' that it created. We call those economic structures 'persons' and extend Constitutional protection to them. 'Economic persons' have an economic grasp that is incomparable. No human being can compete with a corporate structure. This creates a social with two types of 'persons'; an 'economic person' and a 'real person'. Both are under Constitutional protection. However, a real persons has definite 'moral', 'social', 'economic' and 'political' duties, while a corporate person has only the protection it needs to 'exist' as a fictional person so that it can have an increased economic 'grasp', and to make a 'profit'. Its only duties are to exist and to make a profit. If it does not make a profit, its existence can be terminated by those who incorporated it or it can blend with other corporate structures. That is not the case with real human beings. The problem is that real human beings have many social, family, financial, and political duties and the corporation has none. A corporation only exists too make a profit and has no other duties in the social or the political spheres. To be sure, it also pays taxes, but even that, is not on a basis that reflects the 'increased economic grasp' it has been given. It has no duties, and no social, or political, responsibilities. The indirect result of all that, is that it allows for the existence of the Top 1%. How sad; we create 'economic fictions' and the 'owners', who are real people, 'hoard' all the money at the Top 1% of the economy. The 'corporate fictions', if they are to exist, need more 'duties and responsibilities'.

A Nations economy is quantifiable. Why can't democracy be quantified?

The economy of all Nations are quantifiable institutions. An economy can be 'quantified'. As a matter of fact all major aspects of an economy can be measured. The engine (profits) of an economy must be quantified to determine whether that economy is profitable or not. Profits is the engine; 'capital' is quantified; 'wages' are quantified; 'economic value' is a quantification; 'interest' is a quantification; 'losses' are quantifications, 'money' is a quantifiable 'medium of exchange'. etc.. My point is the essence of an economy is a quantification. Can democracy be quantified? Yes and No. No!, Freedom and Equality cannot be quantified in an Individual. Every Individual is Free and Equal in a Democracy, and hence, is 'free' within the institutional complexities of the social. S/he can do as s/he pleases within the confines of Law; Law being a kind-of-measure of 'social order'. Every Individual is also an 'Equal human being' within the 'condition of togetherness'. No one is 'special' and no 'classifications' of the human condition can be established. Human is Human. Equality means 'equal human being'. So, how can we quantify Democracy? The only aspect of a democracy that can be quantified is the unique status of each Individual as a 'human entity' that 'counts' within a 'condition of togetherness' and is included in all democratic political 'institutions'. In other words; everyone 'counts' and hence is subject to 'inclusion' or 'exclusion'. In a Democracy everyone 'counts' and hence is entitled to the same freedoms as all others and must be include in all 'population counts' as a 'free' and 'equal' Individual. In other words, only the Individual 'as a whole' can be 'counted' and hence, that can be considered as a 'form of quantification'. But, notice, its the Individual as a whole i.e. as a 'human entity', i.e., from Nature, that is 'free and equal'. Political structures have nothing to do with the Freedom and Equality of the 'human condition', except to 'respect' and 'protect' it within the political. 'Leave no human being behind'.

'Peoples' need each Other; but, they do not need 'despotic' governments.

People have always needed each other. They formed into 'conditions of togetherness', and formed Governments. Governments were authorized to represent the 'different conditions' as separate political entities. People needed to 'stick together' and to organize politically to 'simplify' the search for food, shelter, clothing, and the general welfare of all. But, the 'condition of togetherness' also needed an 'economy' to exploit the many possibilities in the 'search for food', the manufacturing of 'goods', shelters, or homes, clothing, and to provide for the general welfare. Hence, an economy was 'born' and that economy needed an 'engine' for the creation of a continuous 'stream of necessities' for the general Welfare. That engine was the 'profits engine'. An economy cannot survive without profits. No profits; no business, no business corporations; no work, no work; no wages nor salaries, no wages; no food, no shelter, no clothing, no 'economic welfare'. An Economy is very different from a Government and the 'motor' of a Democratic Government. Democracy cannot function without Freedom and Equality while an economy cannot function without profits. The engine for Democracy is Freedom and Equality; the engine for a successful economy is Profits. Never shall the twain meet. We cannot mix the two. To be sure, they are 'intertwined' in the social, but the 'engines' of the two activities must be kept separate. We cannot have a 1%. We cannot have racial discrimination; we cannot have 'classes' of human beings; and we cannot elevate the 'importance of Government' over the 'importance of the human condition'. The Human condition, in a condition of 'Freedom' and 'Equality', is far superior than 'any' form of Government. That's why the Divine Right of Kings type of Government did not survive; neither will a Plutocracy.

Governments cannot govern 'life'; but, they must govern the 'condition of togetherness'.

Although there are 'Many' human beings on the planet, Governments cannot govern 'Life'. This fact should not need an explanation. Governments are necessary, as places of Authority, in the 'condition of togetherness. Human beings in the 'condition of togetherness' need Government. That's an absolute necessity; however, each human being has his/her own 'life' and that's a 'gift of Nature' and has no relation to the government in which she/he was born; hence, Government has no authority over 'that life'. Nevertheless, no individual can long live in isolation; they must live in a 'condition of togetherness'. Hence; the need for Government. Every Government is a human political 'construction', and the 'value system' of that institution of Government is determined by the respect for the Freedom and Equality shown to the human beings under its governing authority. A Government cannot abuse 'those' that give it the right to exist. 'Peoples' come first; then, comes Government. So, it would seem that the question is what's wrong with Government? Unfortunately, Governments cannot function without People. OK, so what's wrong with People? Well, it seems that 'Leaders of Governments' cannot handle political Power. How sad. People 'create' Governments, and then, succumb to its 'Power'.

Government is essential to the 'condition of togetherness' but, it should never suppress 'life'.

The 'condition of togetherness' requires that Governments exist. Governments are duty bound to mandate legal rules for the protection of all. So, where do we 'look' to examine whether a law offends the 'requirements' of Law, as distinguished from the suppression of Life? That's not an easy task, yet, we can examine the 'generality' of the requirement in such manner as to determine the 'generality of application'. Obviously, the Law must apply to all in an equal manner, and that means in a non-discriminatory manner. To be sure, there will be categories of application, but the generality or essence of its application cannot suppress the basic 'life impulse'. That's where the problems kick-in. 'Governing' and 'Law' applies to the 'condition of togetherness' in its essential 'condition of togetherness', i.e., as a 'whole', in its 'completeness', or, in its 'inclusivity'. Contrary to that is the fact that "each and every individual matters"; "everyone counts", everyone 'is a life'. The 'life' of the human individual is sacred. At this point enters the problematic. Government does not and cannot 'govern' Life. It governs the 'condition of togetherness'. It has already been pointed out, one solitary human being on an island does not need the institution of Government. Of course, that's the other end of the problem. An individual can live any way s/he pleases. The clash between the requirements of living in a 'condition of togetherness', and the natural Right to live 'as one pleases' becomes the 'basic clash' of civilizations. Sometimes, we have to face the fact that our problems are not 'all' government problems; they are 'human problems'. How sad; we don't know what we want.