An American Kingdom

[raging moderate]

4. What they want is feudalism.

If they had read the Bible as thoroughly as they claim, they would have come across the passage where the nation of Israel is castigated by God for demanding a king to replace their (admittedly rudimentary) democratic system of elected representatives to a central legislative council (described in the Book of "Judges" as meeting the approval of God). The Israelis became enamored of the showmanship of the royal pageantry in surrounding countries and started demanding that the Prophet Samuel somehow set up a king for them. Samuel prayed for guidance from God, who strongly opposed the idea and suggested that Samuel warn the people that a king would oppress them, turn their sons and daughters into menial servants, and suck in all the best of everything for himself and his family. God wanted it on record that these people had been warned, and Samuel duly warned the people at a public meeting, but they rejected these warnings and loudly demanded a king. God told Samuel sadly, "Well, then, let them have their king. Tell you what, Samuel, just to prevent trouble, go out and anoint the tallest guy in Israel, that guy Saul." And the Bible duly noted that, sure enough, Saul and the other kings did do all the bad things God and Samuel had warned them against.