The Robbers and the US Political parties
A quasi political post over on the rant free zone of the Lib. But first some background.
Disclaimer, while specific parts of the Book of Mormon mentioned are part and parcel as Doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the opinions expressed are my own.
"However (political parties) may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion" George Washington's Farewell Address, 17 September 1796
If you hadn't figured it out, this may be some critique of the party system that, while having been built over the last two centuries, has really accelerated and created such a sharp divide in the US. Alas, its roots are much older. And now some description for those unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon, Another Witness to Jesus Christ, is a part of the scriptural canon of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (referred from now on as the Restored Church, if I refer to it again) along with the Holy Bible (KJV) and other sacred writings. It is a record of a branch of the House of Israel that left Jerusalem just before it fell to Babylon approximately 600 BC. It details their doings, their religious teachings, from 600 BC to 400 AD. The highlight of the book is the visit of Jesus Christ to this continent after His death and Resurrection.
The two groups involved throughout the book are referred to as Lamanites, who did not follow the teachings of God (generally), and the Nephites who had inspired leaders, even when wickedness was rampant. I know, a lot of fill in.
During the time leading up to the years before Christ's visit, the land was governed by judges. It was a very minimal government, with the only crimes being crimes that harm others. During these years, a group had formed up, whose purposes were to overthrow the government and establish itself as the ruling body. See where I am going? This group was known as Robbers, and they were named after a man named Gadianton, They had their own societies and kept their own secrets, and worked in all sorts of crimes such as murders, theft, and general chaos. They had their people put into position as judges throughout the land. At times, righteous men served as judges, as they were selected by the voice of the people, but as the people became more and more wicked, men who were prophets stepped down from the judgement seat to better teach the people, and because the people were more and more clamoring for wicked men to NOT judge them because of their wickedness.
It had gotten so bad that the Lamanites and Nephites got together to protect themselves from the Robbers gathering together in one city, with all of their herds, flocks, and grain. They left nothing behind for the Robbers to take.
For years I had identified as a Republican. I still get calls from them, soliciting money, warning of the woes coming if the Democrats get their way (they are way worse than a union that I used to belong to, when it comes to crisis creation) I believed in the revolution brought by Gingrich in 1994, and after a shaky start, was able to work with a Democrat President, to make the budget balance, on paper at least, for a couple of years. Spending was curtailed, a Democrat President and his sidekick Algore proclaimed that "the era of big government was over". Then the GOP won the White House and Congress. They threw the austerity away, starting a new entitlement program, (Medicare Part D) and nationalizing in many ways the education system even more than it was. (No child left behind), and endless war, which we are still in. They proved themselves even bigger spenders than Democrats. They were spanked for it in 2006
First Congress, and then in 2008 the White House. I was wrong about the GOP and their spending compared to the other party. The GOP was thought to be dead in 2008, but the Democrats stretched too far and the GOP was rewarded with the House in 2010. Not much to be done, but they did try, and even got a budget reduction act passed. In 2014, they won the Senate, after much fanfare and promise, and immediately....did nothing that they promised to do. In 2016, a GOP Congress and a GOP president did little to advance an agenda that would keep them in power, and they lost the House in 2018.
Look, the Robbers in the Book of Mormon were EVIL. Theirs was a plan hatched by Satan himself to control and enslave mankind. It is as old as Cain, and even before the earth was. For the record, I am not comparing the two parties to the Robbers, regarding the evil that they were. I am, however, comparing them to the raw quest for power that the Robbers had, and how they parties infiltrate the politics of today is no different than then.
Never have the parties been so polarized, having been purged of opposing viewpoints. No wonder people are turned off by politics. Today, the Democrat leadership in the House had a meeting of minds both with the wacko left of the party and the moderates who know that if they buy off on anything that is being proposed will be voted out in 2020. All are being asked to put party above country, above right, and above the desires of their constituents. Nothing matters except party. While I highlighted the Democrats, make no mistake, the GOP is no different. Party first. Period. They have truly become what George Washington predicted, and will only lead to despotism and destruction.
What do you think?
Disclaimer, while specific parts of the Book of Mormon mentioned are part and parcel as Doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the opinions expressed are my own.
"However (political parties) may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion" George Washington's Farewell Address, 17 September 1796
If you hadn't figured it out, this may be some critique of the party system that, while having been built over the last two centuries, has really accelerated and created such a sharp divide in the US. Alas, its roots are much older. And now some description for those unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon, Another Witness to Jesus Christ, is a part of the scriptural canon of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (referred from now on as the Restored Church, if I refer to it again) along with the Holy Bible (KJV) and other sacred writings. It is a record of a branch of the House of Israel that left Jerusalem just before it fell to Babylon approximately 600 BC. It details their doings, their religious teachings, from 600 BC to 400 AD. The highlight of the book is the visit of Jesus Christ to this continent after His death and Resurrection.
The two groups involved throughout the book are referred to as Lamanites, who did not follow the teachings of God (generally), and the Nephites who had inspired leaders, even when wickedness was rampant. I know, a lot of fill in.
During the time leading up to the years before Christ's visit, the land was governed by judges. It was a very minimal government, with the only crimes being crimes that harm others. During these years, a group had formed up, whose purposes were to overthrow the government and establish itself as the ruling body. See where I am going? This group was known as Robbers, and they were named after a man named Gadianton, They had their own societies and kept their own secrets, and worked in all sorts of crimes such as murders, theft, and general chaos. They had their people put into position as judges throughout the land. At times, righteous men served as judges, as they were selected by the voice of the people, but as the people became more and more wicked, men who were prophets stepped down from the judgement seat to better teach the people, and because the people were more and more clamoring for wicked men to NOT judge them because of their wickedness.
It had gotten so bad that the Lamanites and Nephites got together to protect themselves from the Robbers gathering together in one city, with all of their herds, flocks, and grain. They left nothing behind for the Robbers to take.
For years I had identified as a Republican. I still get calls from them, soliciting money, warning of the woes coming if the Democrats get their way (they are way worse than a union that I used to belong to, when it comes to crisis creation) I believed in the revolution brought by Gingrich in 1994, and after a shaky start, was able to work with a Democrat President, to make the budget balance, on paper at least, for a couple of years. Spending was curtailed, a Democrat President and his sidekick Algore proclaimed that "the era of big government was over". Then the GOP won the White House and Congress. They threw the austerity away, starting a new entitlement program, (Medicare Part D) and nationalizing in many ways the education system even more than it was. (No child left behind), and endless war, which we are still in. They proved themselves even bigger spenders than Democrats. They were spanked for it in 2006
First Congress, and then in 2008 the White House. I was wrong about the GOP and their spending compared to the other party. The GOP was thought to be dead in 2008, but the Democrats stretched too far and the GOP was rewarded with the House in 2010. Not much to be done, but they did try, and even got a budget reduction act passed. In 2014, they won the Senate, after much fanfare and promise, and immediately....did nothing that they promised to do. In 2016, a GOP Congress and a GOP president did little to advance an agenda that would keep them in power, and they lost the House in 2018.
Look, the Robbers in the Book of Mormon were EVIL. Theirs was a plan hatched by Satan himself to control and enslave mankind. It is as old as Cain, and even before the earth was. For the record, I am not comparing the two parties to the Robbers, regarding the evil that they were. I am, however, comparing them to the raw quest for power that the Robbers had, and how they parties infiltrate the politics of today is no different than then.
Never have the parties been so polarized, having been purged of opposing viewpoints. No wonder people are turned off by politics. Today, the Democrat leadership in the House had a meeting of minds both with the wacko left of the party and the moderates who know that if they buy off on anything that is being proposed will be voted out in 2020. All are being asked to put party above country, above right, and above the desires of their constituents. Nothing matters except party. While I highlighted the Democrats, make no mistake, the GOP is no different. Party first. Period. They have truly become what George Washington predicted, and will only lead to despotism and destruction.
What do you think?
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