Sovereignty

by Richard N. Haass (President of the Council on Foreign Relations)

from to Sept/Oct issue of Foreign Policy "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: 16 Ideas On Their Way Out"

--Powerful forces in the world today threaten the idea that "governments are free to do what they want within their own territory."

--Governments today must share power with "corporations, NGOs, terrorists, drug cartels, regional and global institutions, and banks and private equity funds."

--State borders cannot stop the flow of people, ideas, greenhouse gases, goods, dollars, drugs, viruses, emails, and weapons.

--Governments that neglect or mistreat their citizens and in the process create unstable situations that provide an opening for terrorists can expect "attack, removal, or occupation."

--States will also choose to give up some of their sovereignty to supranational organizations (such as the WTO) and treaties (such as the Kyoto Protocol).

--The author concludes that we will have a world made up of states that are not completely sovereign--neither world government nor anarchy.