I continue to watch the idea of democracy falling under daily attack by a would be emperor. Every day a little bit more of the norms of our country fall away. Just in recent days:
The president has stated that he can ignore a subpoena from the congress
He has ignored the wisdom and advise of military leaders with regard to foreign policy
He has asked for foreign assistance in his bid to win re-election
He has retweeted a follower who said that removing him from office would result in a civil war
He has (jokingly???) said that if he might serve 3 terms, regardless of the outcome of the election.
Through all this he has maintained the support of his evangelical followers who appreciate having a strong man in the White House. They want their king!
I wonder if they have actually read the Bible! Especially that part where the people demanded a king. It is from I Samuel 8. (You can look it up!)
When they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 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. 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. 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.”
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 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. 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. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 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.”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 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.”
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
You will have to read on to discover that everything Samuel said did come true. Where are the Samuels warning the US about where this would be king will lead? But would it matter anyway?