Good Government

Reading that the government of Tanzania will fire regional administrative officials if they can't stop a cholera outbreak, I wish our own government would act as harshly to unethical or incompetent behavior by government employees. Uganda is another example of government's influence on the lives of its citizens, finding more freedom and prosperity after deposing Idi Amin Dada; it has become a leader in Africa in its fight against AIDS. Africa has abundant natural resources, a very diverse population, and political influences from Europe, China and the United States among others. A call for good government has gone out across Africa as a solution to its dilemmas and world image. So what makes good government?
Traditional monogamous families.
In the western world, not only Judaism, but also the Greeks and Romans were predominantly monogamous societies (though far from perfect). Of the Greek states, Sparta was the strongest proponent of monogamy and boasts the title of over a 1000-year reign. Sparta was the only Greek State to educate their women. Moreover, they were said to be the best in the world at fighting as a group, being the only Greeks disciplined enough to take a phalanx, a mass of intertwined men and armor moving at a slow trot, and pivot a wing to out flank the enemy. Modified by Alexander the Great's father such tactics developed into the Roman legion. Along with their abilities of conquest they also focused on incorporating the peoples of the lands they invaded. Both the Greeks and the Romans excelled in public works including theaters, roads, aqueducts and public baths.
Judeo-Christian ethics, Greek drama and philosophy and Roman law hold powerful influences on our society today. When the Romans came upon the Germanic tribes they marveled at how well they treated their women and Western Europe, and in turn the United States, have been leaders in concepts of liberty and social justice (in both Christian and materialist veins). All this from societies that honored traditional monogamous families and even more so from those who respected women to the greater degree.
The threat of terrorism, poverty, corruption, AIDS or war and genocide are predominantly coming from cultures that practice polygamy and/or hold women in low regard. The fact that AIDS itself, transmitted almost exclusively through intercourse, has swept the world in apparently only 40 years, illustrates the plight facing our society; the assault on the family unit. Uganda, as part of its successful war against AIDS, has promoted abstinence until marriage and upholds a model in its royal family. The discipline, compassion, insight and relationship skills learned from the traditional family unit are essential in working toward good government and creating a prosperous society for all. Whether Africa can prosper in its advantageous situation and set an example to the rest of the world depends on its ability to promote the traditional family unit. Something that has been lacking in many, but not all, parts of the continent.
Protecting the sanctity of the family unit and women's rights are the real battlegrounds for peace in our modern era, whether Islamo-fascist terrorism, genocide or AIDS.

A History of Marriage