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What do you think the ideal form of government is? Please add in details on how it would run not just a simple description, there are after all a vast range of governments covered by such simple terms as 'communism', 'democracy' and the like - some of the more common terms aren't even forms of government, but ideals.

So please, be as detailed as you like.

Hi... sorry, I had a really nice post all set up for this when my computer froze. I'll try and summarize it:

I believe forms of government can't really work. Many say that governments fail because of greed: that humans are inherintly greedy, and so tricky greedy people will always evade the defenses of government and take over. I think this is so, but only part of the truth. Allow me to introduce a word from Sanskrit, because the English language is kind of limited: Nrishansa. Nrishansa is a word describing sort of a tree of emotion, the branches being jealousy, greed, hatred, prejudice, etc., and the trunk being ignorance. That's a pretty lame description on my part, but okay. I believe that Nrishansa is like a plague over mankind, passed down through generations by parents who teach their children their ways. I don't think it has to exist, but it does. I believe governments themselves are the product of Nrishansa. Governments are first created to keep Nrishansa in check, but soon Nrishansa takes them over. With no greed or jealousy or hate there would be no reason for government, but with it both government and it's bane are born. Yeah that summarizes it.

I'm going to read Aristotle's Politics... and then write something... ADIOS!! blaugh

I don't think that a state of nature (no government of any kind) could work. When people group together the first thing they do is select a leader, even if its just under the guise of a 'spokes person'. You need some force of government if only to enforce the rules, keeping people safe and that it is worth taking on long term projects (like growing food, or building houses).

Alot of people point at Russia or China and go- see communism doesn't work! But of courese theres is not true communism, at least not as Marx envsioned it (if nothing else they hadn't gone through the earlier stages of government that he had suggested were required- like democracy). It is a very idealistic view of society.

I like it- from each what he is capable, and to each what is required!

I'm not denying anything, the question was what government is the most ideal. Idealism rejects all problems and looks at idealy, what would be the best if EVERYTHING worked out.

The ideal government is one that works, really. Whatever works. Americans seems to think it's democracy, Brits think it's constitutional monarchy, Mid-easterns think it's dictatorship. But they all think it's right, because it all works for them. Every situation is different, so we can't really say what is ideal, because it would be ideal for the present situation and time. We can't really say what will happen in the future.

My government would be mostly libertarian. I would have everyone with an IQ under 110 sterilized. Anyone with a genetic debilitiating physical defect would be sterilized. Everyone will be tested for HIV. Anyone that has HIV will be moved to their own colony, which will be upper-middle class and well fed. They will get all of the medication they possibly need. Anyone that avoids being taken to this place will be made into a eunich.
All large corporations will be dissolved into smaller companies. All nonviolent drug offenders will be pardoned, and drugs will be made legal. Taxes will be abolished and replaced with user fees, with one exception. Drugs will be taxed to pay for the programs described above.
Rape will be punished with jail for not shorter than 1 year the first offense. Not longer than 10 years for the second count. And will result in amputation of sex organs on the third count.
I won't have a utopia, but I'll be damn close.