02/29/2024 ****************************************************** On a serious note ... I had a dream one night back in the late 1980s that the United States had become a fascist country, like Germany was under Hitler. I felt somewhat disturbed by this but I assured myself that this could NEVER happen here - it's too contrary to our basic American traditions and heritage. It's just NOT who we are - it's just plain unAmerican. We don't allow the concentration of power into hands of a small group of elites dominated by a "strongman". We believe in the distribution of power, with checks and balances to maintain our freedoms and liberty - never allowing ANYBODY to become TOO powerful. For example, our three coequal branches of government are designed to pit two against one if any one of them ever goes nutzo on us. But in the last ten years or so there seems to be a growing interest in subverting America into an authoritarian dictatorship. ****************************************************** History is full of "strongmen" - kings, emperors, warlords, dictators - and it's always the same story. "Just give me unlimited power, and I'll make everything right for you and I'll protect you from all those other people." And it always ends up the same way - they line their pockets with the nation's wealth and then use the nation's power to take even more from their neighboring countries by force. Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the greatest "strongmen" of the 19th century, destroyed the French Republic in a coup in 1804, then went on to conquer most of Europe all the way over to Moscow and crowned himself the Emperor of France. He once said "If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing." ****************************************************** This all reminds me of an episode in the Old Testament of the Bible. (note: the dates given below are approximate and somewhat speculative). In the early days, the Israelites weren't a monarchy. Moses wasn't a "king", his sons never assumed power on his death. Nor was Joshua a "king". The "government" was effectively just a loose confederation of the 12 Tribes of Israel. This period of the "Judges" lasted for about 400 years after the time of Moses (1445-1050 B.C.). About 1050 B.C. the Israelites decided they wanted a king. A king is essentially the same thing as a modern "authoritarian strongman" or "dictator" - they all wield unlimited power. They approached Samuel, the last of the "Judges" and asked him to appoint a king, so that they may be like every other country. ****************************************************** 1 Samuel 8:1-22 1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” ************** 1 samuel 10:18 18 ... [Samuel said] “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ 19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.” ****************************************************** And so Saul was appointed king - against God's recommendation (about 1050 B.C.). "... they have rejected me [God] as their king". I think other key phrases above are: "... he [the king] will take [a lot of YOUR best stuff] for his own use." and "... you yourselves will become his [the king's] slaves." ****************************************************** The history of the Jerusalem royal court reads like a soap opera of intrigue, corruption, backstabbing, rape, adultery and murder that lasted about 500 years - until king Zedekiah when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians (about 500 B.C.). We always hear about the "wisdom" of King Solomon, but that doesn't mean he was a "nice guy". When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king (about 930 B.C.). The corruption and oppression of the court drove ten of the northern tribes to revolt under Jeroboam, who attempted reconciliation with Rehoboam. 1 Kings 12:4 “Your father [Solomon] put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” To which Rehoboam.responded: 1 Kings 12:11 "My father [Solomon] laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” That didn't really reconcile much. The split continued for about 200 years until the Assyrians crushed the northern tribes (723 B.C.). ****************************************************** I believe the Bible is telling us that God does NOT approve of "strongmen". The Bible certainly paints most of them in a very bad light. We have free will to do whatever we choose, but I think as Christians we should choose NOT to support them - NOT ANY of them. ****************************************************** I know there are people who couldn't care less what the Bible says about anything. They have the right to do that. And I suspect there are people who DO follow the Bible, but think my interpretation is all wrong. They have that right, too. This is only my opinion. Either way, I think the lesson from the Bible here is true. I really do believe authoritarianism is a bad thing, A REALLY, BAD THING. ****************************************************** Stay Jazzed! --Tom Swezey ...