
Gary DeMar shares some thoughts on the stimulus bill:
Over the weekend, AMC aired The Godfather (Part I and II). I thought this was appropriate given that one of the worst pieces of legislation in the history of our nation was passed by the House and Senate on Friday, February 13, using fear, intimidation, blackmail, and political thuggery. Even John McCain, who admitted during the 2008 presidential campaign that he knew almost nothing about economics, understands the immoral character of the so-called stimulus bill when he described it as “generational theft,” a phrase coined by Michele Malkin. I have a great fondness for the Godfather saga since it reminds me so much of politics.
When my oldest son was about four, we were at the check-out line at a Blockbuster video store when he noticed a video-tape display promoting The Godfather film. “Dad, are these about God?” he asked. Knowing that he would not care to hear a long retelling of the plot, I summed up the storyline by telling him that The Godfather saga was about an alternate form of government. The man standing behind us in line overheard our conversation and made the following comment. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. Don Corleone is a lot like today’s politicians. He’s the man in charge. He grants political favors. He makes and enforces laws. He even collects taxes. The Mafia is run like a government. . . .”
The Don’s government was considered to be good by so many because it granted favors, dispensing what many wanted to believe was justice when it could not be obtained in city courts or in the streets. Legitimacy was not an immediate issue as long as the people received a benefit and general good was being performed-give or take a few broken legs. Those under the counterfeit jurisdiction of the Don’s regime were willing to put up with paying extorted “protection money,” since most people understood the costs involved in running a government. They considered it a tax for promised services. . . .
The predatory politics and violent methods of the Godfather are criminal. Everyone understands this. But what is considered criminal when practiced by the Godfather, all of a sudden becomes “government policy” in legislation coming from Washington. Lavish government spending programs and burdensome tax bills are legitimized by describing them as just, benevolent, fair, and good for the people. The rule of law (the Constitution) is often ignored and most often subverted to gain political power at the expense of personal freedom and liberty. Wealth is confiscated from the productive and transferred to the less productive in an attempt to buy votes. Vote buying becomes a means of increasing the scope of governmental power and legitimizes policies that can find no constitutional justification. As long as those in power offer the benefits that come with power, few people complain, except, of course, those who are being fleeced. . . .
Read the entire article here. . . .
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Quoting John Flavel:
The threat of Islamic conquest was a concern to the German princes of the 16th century. When about to lead a military expedition against the Muslim Turks, Prince Joachim of Brandenburg sought spiritual counsel from Luther before going to war. The following is Luther’s letter of August 3, 1532 to Prince Joachim:
Quoting
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