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The major human flaw, the reason many government systems cannot work, and one reason we believe the world needs a change, is the hunger for power. Wars, slavery, prevention of human progress, it all comes back to greed, specifically for power. And yet, when you think about it, we are so insignificant as individuals that any power we gain doesn't really matter.

So, what checks can we place in our government to prevent corruption as much as we can? We can't just assume that our caring for the good of mankind will always be there (though it should). Sooner or later, even if our revolution ever happens, people will feel that lust for power. We need to make sure that society makes people want to work for mankind, and that they have no chance of oppressing others. Any thoughts?

Maybe one way to help would be to think of ways governments (and people on an individual level) oppress, why they do so, and look at the checks and balances of other governments as examples. I'll reserve a post for such things.

I completely disagree. It is not "power" that man strives for, but superiority. Otherwise we would be an even more warring lot than we already are. Earth never fought for land, but for resources. The nations strive for the best, or at least for survivability.

Imagine it as the average American consumer. We constantly want bigger, better, more affordable items to purchase, sometimes exceeding our budgets for essentials like rent and food, and so remaining indebted to the credit agencies. We will continuously shop for whatever our fancy may be in search of newer, more advanced technologies; i.e. computers, entertainment centers, nicer house, etc. Some people are better at budgeting their funds than other by setting better priorities.

And so it is with nations. Some may seek more destructive weaponry, more economic power, higher education, better control over citizens, better technologies, and so on. I'd like to stress this "better control over citizens" because it is a very common one that has had such a long history. Some nations achieve this through fear (old Iraq), others through gluttony (America), still others through false or misleading information (China, USSR, Oceania (from 1984)). Fear, gluttony, lies, honor, respect, freedom, etc. Often a combination of these techniques are used.

Control over a people is essential for the survival of a nation. A nation is a set of ideals used to control a people in order to unite them and stave off the ills of anarchy. These ideals have manifested themselves in constitutions, royal families, religious figures, and all manners of others. As you might see, this control is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you are in full favor of complete anarchy.

(I wonder at times whether these founding ideals; whether in a corporation, a governement, or an organization; can indeed manifest themselves as living entities through the will of humans. But I digress.)

This hunger for power is not for power over other nations, but power over it's own people to ensure it's own perpetuation. Yes, as individuals the power we gain is relatively minimal, but as a people or as a nation this power is significant. And all too easily, a nation can use its power in corruption.

The founding fathers of America tried as best as they could to stave off this abuse of power, and so they devised a Constitution which would be the unchanging governing law of their nation. They instituted checks and balances, a division of power between the congress, the presidency, and the court, and then between the federal, state, and local governments. But the system was not perfect. Loopholes were found and, as explained so well in the Matrix, some rules were bent and others were broken. Habeus corpus can be suspended, despite specific language in the Constitution disallowing this; our first amendment can be inhibited in times of war or with delicate information; and all manners of other "vague" language has been expounded upon and exploited for whatever the lawmakers of the time has seen fit. Indeed, the question of morals, originally secluded to religion, has made it's presence known to government.

So what can we do?

One answer is a new constitution. A constitution so thorough, that little room for loopholes is allowed. It would need to be versatile with age, yet unedited by the prying pens of future generations. I would expect one document of this constitution to exactly label the unchanging rights of every human, and then to create a set of guidelines outlining where it is permissible to make absolutely necessary changes or additional rights, all of which must pass a 2/3s majority popular vote. Another document should ouline the structure of this government and the specific powers each partition of government should have. Another document would outline how the partitions of government may interact, place rules upon one another, and then make these rules enforceable. Behind each document should be a thorough explanation of reasoning for each critical decision made in the making of the documents.

I have said much, but would indulge requests for additional information regarding these documents.

I'm not sure that finding and fixing the loopholes is the best answer. It will work for awhile but then people will find new loopholes. Humans aren't perfect so we will never be able to write a perfect constitution that covers EVERYTHING. Finding a fixing loopholes sounds to me like a temporary patch. Allow me an analogy. Compare fixing the loopholes to patching the potholes in a road. If it's just a few then you can patch them, but over time more will form and those will need to be patched. Old patches will wear out and break and need to be repatched. Eventually the road will be nothing but patches and will have to be ripped out and replaced.

That might be what Sobek is alluding to, I don't know. But even a new constitution would not solve the problems of corruption. An ultra-strict constitution would limit and confine the acts and deeds of the corrupt for a time. But eventually corruption would find it's way around and through the new constitution and the process would start over again.

I think the original idea was closer, the problem lies in Human nature. For some reason we strive to overcome one another. Call it power, call it superiority, call it greed, call it whatever you like. But for some reason we strive to be "better" than each other. This takes on many forms and comes out in many ways, from influence to wealth, power, materials possessions, physical abilities, a myriad of ways. But all of them sum up in an attempt to rise higher than those around us in some meaningful way.

Finding and fixing loopholes may not be a permanent solution, but it's better to make a solution that lasts as long as it can than to not have a solution at all. Greed is something that can never be completely erased. And as time passes, yes, people will find more and more loopholes in current systems. That's why systems and laws need change after a certain amount of time: they simply become outdated. It's impossible to place a system that will work perfectly forever, but if patches aren't made to fix the street, to extend your metaphor, the street could be torn up beyond repair.

Very true. Our system should be able to work well for as long as possible. What are some long-term steps that could be taken?