Citizens of the World, Mourn!

Garry Davis has died.  No, not the lead singer for Deep Purple (I thought so, too).  No, in fact, Davis was an American World War II veteran who in 1948 "entered the American Embassy in Paris, renounced his American citizenship and, as astonished officials looked on, declared himself a citizen of the world."  Davis subsequently became recognized as "the dean of the One World movement, a quest to erase national boundaries that today has nearly a million adherents worldwide."  The idea was that the fundamental causes of war all boil down to territorial or nationalistic disputes between countries; hence, no nations = no wars.  Basically, this is also the premise of "Independence Day," only without the threat of intergalactic annihilation.

Davis established the "World Government of World Citizens" 60 years ago.  He also campaigned for the position of President of the World several times, and, since he ran unopposed, I assume he won.  For the most part, other countries ignored the "World Government," although a handful of countries do recognize passports issued to "World Citizens" as legitimate documents.  If you should happen to be in the market for a "World" passport, you can get one; you just pay a fee: $45 for a three-year passport or $400 for a 15-year passport.  That fundamental "logic" of that fee structure, by the way, clearly establishes the "World Government's" bureaucratic bona fides.