A world without borders

Jared, Victoria and Kirsten
Hambledon State School
Australia

Imagine a world without borders. It is probable that there would only be one set of laws. But who would decide the laws? Would it be better or worse than the world we live in today? How would our lives change and would they change for the better? For example, think about weapon laws. In America it is relatively easy to obtain a gun. However, in Australia you can only get a gun if you have a weapon licence. Would new global laws mean guns would be abolished altogether? Worse still, would it become legal for people to walk the streets armed with rifles or machine guns?

If all the borders were demolished there would be one big question: who would be boss? Would there be a huge global election or would people argue all the time about who would be the ruler of the world? How would the global leader understand the beliefs and values of our new global society? If the entire world elected one person to rule the world, would that person bring peace or war? The decisions of one person in charge would affect the whole world and every person living in it. Decisions would shift from being made on a state or country basis to being made on a global scale. Is a decision that benefits one group of people going to benefit the whole globe? No borders would change everyone’s life in many different ways. Would global leadership be democratic where people have a say in everyday life? Would our freedom to choose be abolished by a dictatorship where everyone is told what to do, when to do it and how to do it?

We have to wonder if being united with one set of laws would be such a good thing. It would definitely come down to whether the world was governed by a democracy or dictatorship, a monarchy or a communist party. If the government in charge did not value animals or environmental issues, the laws on animal or habitat protection might change. If a global government made logging legal, global warming would definitely speed up. On the other hand, if a democracy took charge and put in place strict weapon laws and protected our environment, our planet would change for the better. Our air could be cleaner, our hospitals could be more efficient, and our children could live in a world without wars.

If all the world’s borders were abolished pollution might increase. There would be more frequent flyers because flights would become more popular, like driving your car around. Flights might impact on the environment, creating more pollution and killing lots of plants and animals. Quarantine, which prevents the spread of diseases, would be abolished, resulting in lots of wildlife being destroyed and ecosystems being upset. What would stop the global spread of diseases like Bird Flu? The new world leader might not value nature, which would result in fewer protected areas or even animals becoming either endangered or extinct. On the other hand, the new world leader might value nature excessively and introduce harsh penalties for global citizens who don’t protect plants or animals.

Laws on immigration would, of course, be non-existent. Anyone could go anywhere. There would be no such thing as visas or passports. People would have the freedom to travel as they please. The globe would no longer consist of groups of 'them' and 'us'. Doctors and medical supplies would be more evenly distributed worldwide. Poorer nations who presently struggle for adequate health care would share in the resources that are so abundant in wealthy nations today.

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