In the book, this form of government starts in Scotland after a world-wide depression destroys people's confidence in government. In the widespread rioting and looting of that chaotic time, a group of veterans band together to protect their homes and towns. They slowly gain support by bringing order from one area to another using corporal punishment to enforce their laws, until the rest of the world, desperate for stability, joins them.
I don't hold with this idea, but I find some of its concepts intriguing. I found it interesting that in this book's version of the world, governments that arose from scientists and philosophers fell apart while this military government could withstand chaos and corruption. I know enough of world history to know that members of the military are not above corruption, but the idea of people having to earn their citizenship rather than simply getting it through birth sounds appropriate. While I like the idea of earning citizenship, the issue is always about who decides what "earning" citizenship means. The requirements could easily be manipulated by people who only want people who think like them to have rights.
As a student of governments, I am intrigued about various ideas of the "perfect" government. Still no matter how hard we try, we never seem to be able to fully account for the corruptible natures of humanity.