Say ye not ‘A confederacy…’

“Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”

I’ve been under the impression that both of our modern political parties were rotten, particularly at the nation level and probably to the core.

At the same time I haven’t quite known what to make of what good we DO have, because it was obvious to me from a young age that Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington were not only good, but also great.

Yet the difference between American government in 1789 and what it has morphed into in 2023 is a world of difference.

In my own view, the Constitution itself with its three distinct branches has always made sense. It is apparent from even a casual glance at our history that the Founders were obsessed with restricting authoritarian power – and their obsession was combined with genius, leading to the Constitutional Convention with all its debate and deliberation, along with the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, The Rights of Man, and a thousand other pamphlets and newspapers which circulated revolutionary sentiment.

It is probably significant to realize that in looking to the Constitution, we find ourselves in support of a national government of considerable strength and authority, almost inescapably.

In fact, the Constitution itself was an answer to the failures of the Articles of Confederation, with the main difference being its centralization of government power. A national government in a capital city is a fact and feature of life in the United States of America.

And yet we find ourselves facing a time when complete control over the government is attributed to one of two political factions OPENLY, and by admission.

While the tension between the Speaker of the House and the Executive Branch is supposed to be a significant “check and balance” on power, we have often (or always) seen it as the peak of a conflict between Republicans and Democrats. And as such is the case, we are watching the override of careful and measured provisions against authoritarian dominion and the abuse of justice – all of which were designed for such a time as this, and none of which seem to matter much anymore.

I think it is bizarre to have to look at the Speaker of the House of Representatives in terms of his partisan affiliation and then interpret his opposition to the President of the United States completely in those terms, and yet that is really the only way to make sense of things. It was true with Pelosi and Trump, and its true now with McCarthy and Biden.

Sickness seems to have sunk into the very head of our government from all sides and the world is taking note.

Now is probably the time to be up and doing.

“For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel[.]

And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” (Isaiah 8: 11-15)