Long. Won't post all.

It's time to stop blaming [them], and look at ourselves. Yes, they put us to sleep, but we let them. They used our greed, our avarice, our selfishness against us - and we let them. [They] lured us in, but we let them.

This writer is speaking mainly about consumerism, but if you read the text he references, basically, it's the people's general rebellion against God.

The Government We Deserve

The Bible tells us we get the government we deserve, not the government we want. Whatever we sow, we will reap. There is a cause and a reason for all that has come upon America in this day, financially, militarily and governmentally. As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and it is us!”

Perhaps the clearest biblical passage on this subject can be found in the third chapter of Isaiah. The Lord starts out by telling Judah why He is going to haul them off into captivity in the most egregious manner. The people have abandoned their relationship with God and their duties to love their neighbor, and have given themselves over to the sin of consumerism.

Rather than care for the orphan, the widow and the poor, they have given themselves to excessive buying of things they want but do not really need. Therefore, a just God is going to devastate them in hopes of getting their attention that they might see their sin, and so He can redeem them from the consequences, if and when they repent.

Isa 3:1-5 For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water; 2 the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, 3 the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the expert artisan, and the skillful enchanter. 4 And I will make mere lads their princes and capricious children will rule over them. 5 And the people will be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor. The youth will storm against the elder, and the inferior against the honorable.

Gods tells them (and maybe us?) that He is going to bring their society to ruin! He will take away their provision. He will remove their skilled warriors and confound their vaunted military. He will take away their wise judges and their insightful prophetic men and women, replacing them with people who cannot think straight or reason in a Godly manner.

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>>16128716

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Honorable men will no longer be found in leadership, and will become scarcer and scarcer as time goes by. Expert craftsman will no longer be found in business and trade. Work ethic will be destroyed, and skill sets will be lost. Their musicians and poets will no longer be skilled at lifting their spirits, but will give themselves over to promoting darkness and iniquity. Inexperienced people (lads) will be their rulers, and “capricious children will rule over them.” Oppression, dishonor and conflict will grow rampant in their national life.

Isa 3:6-9 When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, and these ruins will be under your charge,” 7 On that day will he protest, saying, “I will not be your healer, for in my house there is neither bread nor cloak. You should not appoint me ruler of the people.” For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the LORD, to rebel against His glorious presence. 9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them and they display their sin like Sodom. They do not even conceal it. Woe to them for they have brought evil on themselves.

No good man or woman will want to govern this people. The society has become too self-centered to manage even by the wisest of men and women. People will become ungovernable. God’s people, (whether it be Judah then or America today), have fallen away from Him, and no longer bother to hide their sin. The people boldly violate God’s commandments.

Isa 3:10 Say to the righteous that it will go well with them (in exile), for they will eat the fruit of their actions. 11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what he deserves will be done to him. 12 O My people! Their oppressors are children, and women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray, and confuse the direction of your paths. NASB

Those who are rightly related to God and to their neighbor will find God’s peace at some level (even in captivity), but they will suffer the same fate as the wicked. Those who have abandoned God and failed to care for their neighbor will get what they deserve, to include inexperienced leadership and female domination (a real slap in this patriarchal world).

The society (culture) is leading the people astray!

Isa 3:13-15 The LORD arises to contend, and stands to judge the people. 14 The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard. The plunder of the poor is in your houses. 15 “What do you mean by crushing My people, and grinding the face of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

>>16128722

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God now arises like a prosecutor in court and brings the official charge against Judah. The leaders of the society have “devoured the vineyard.” Those with wealth and power have thought only of themselves. They have consumed the people’s inheritance. They were entrusted with wealth and prosperity to insure the well-being of all the people, but instead consumed it all upon themselves. They have plundered that which was given to care for the poor, and that “plunder” is to be found stored up in the rich man’s house. The rich man has excess goods while the orphans, the widows and the poor go hungry.

The rich have second homes while many have no shelter over their head. Having a second home is not necessarily wrong (if God gave it to you), but we better be actively working to also shelter the poor. If we bought the second home with money God designated to shelter the homeless (only you and God will know), we probably are in trouble with God.

By their mismanagement of God’s provision, says God, the people of Judah are “crushing the poor, grinding their faces into the ground!” So now it will be their turn to suffer. God will haul them off as slaves into captivity where they themselves will become the orphan, the widow and the poor. OUCH!!

Walter Brueggemann, perhaps the foremost Isaiahan scholar today and a man to whom I am much indebted for my understanding of this prophet, has said, “Western culture now faces a displacement (a discontentment) that may indeed be expressed as an exile.” We have lost our sense of well-being and are dwelling in a state of fear and foreboding about our security, our future and our course of action. Indeed, our time and place is much like Isaiah’s time and place. Isaiah’s words are, therefore, important to hear lest, as Brueggemann would say, we wind up in “Babylon” “longing for home” (or olden, better days).

Isa 3:16-17 Moreover, the LORD said, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud, and walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, and go along with mincing steps, and tinkle the bangles on their feet, 17 therefore, the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare. ” NASB

Rarely does God chastise the women in the Bible because they have so little power and authority. But women in every age have influence and are required by God to exercise it for the good of the society. Historically, it is the women who lead the society to care for the sick, feed the poor, educate the children and leverage the culture for decency.

But the daughters of Zion here are not influencing the society for good. They are, instead, leading the society away from righteousness by their attitudes and behaviors. They are caught up in the culture of seduction and hedonism as evidenced by their commitment to consumerism. This next little section inspired me in my book to refer to Isaiah Chapter 3 as the “Dillards’ chapter” because it sounds like someone has just bought out the women’s accessories department at Dillards.

Isa 3:18-23 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 finger rings, nose rings, 22 festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, 23 hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans, and veils.

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The prophet paints a picture of conspicuous consumption; e.g., Imelda Marcos with more than just shoes. He accuses the women of consuming excessively upon themselves rather than caring for their neighbor. Then God speaks judgment and outlines the consequences.

Isa 3:24-26 Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. 25 Your men will fall by the sword, and your mighty ones in battle. 26 And her gates will lament and mourn; and deserted she will sit on the ground. NASB

This is a picture of downfall and exile, and it is ugly! The men have been slain in war. The women are all gathered up, stripped of their finery, shaven and branded, clothed in sackcloth, roped together and marched into captivity. The ones who survive the death march will live as slaves. The party spirit has been replaced by lamenting and mourning by women sitting in the dirt each night on the march.

Is God against wealth? Is He opposed to us having nice things? Is he opposed to nice houses, second houses, nice cars, multiple cars, nice clothes and retirement plans? On the contrary! No, He is not. He often gives us those things when our hearts are rightly related to Him and to our neighbor. But God is opposed to consumerism; i.e., the spending (consuming) of resources upon ourselves as a lifestyle with little or no concern for others.

Let’s take a look at another well-off woman who gets God’s highest marks. (Let’s also remember that these principles are equally true for men.) This woman (and her husband) were very well off, blessed by God Himself, and commended on how they handled it.

Prov 31:10-20 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13 She looks for wool and flax, and works with her hands in delight. 14 She is like merchant ship. She brings her food from afar. 15 She rises also while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and portions to her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it. From her earnings, she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. 18 She senses that her gain is good. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor; and she stretches out her hands to the needy. NASB

The question is not should we have money and be prosperous? The question is: are we the lady in Proverbs 31, or are we the lady in the Dillard’s chapter (Isaiah 3)? It is an important question, don’t you think?

God is sovereign over governments. He raises up one and puts down another as it suits Him and His purposes.

Prov 8:15-16 “By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. 16 “By me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly. NASB

Isa 41:2 He delivers up nations before him, and subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, as the wind-driven chaff with his bow. NASB

Ps 75:6-7 For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; 7 but God is the Judge. He puts down one, and exalts another. NASB

Ps 110:5-6 The Lord is at Thy right hand. He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.6 He will judge among the nations. He will fill them with corpses. He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. NASB

Dan 2:20-21 “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21 “And it is He who changes the times and the epochs. He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. NASB

God gives us good government when we deserve it, and He gives us bad government when we deserve that. Ultimately, He gives us what we demand. He gives us what we think we want, as seen in the story about Israel demanding a king in 1 Sam (see below).

(Cont'd)

http://wayneclark.name/wp/the-government-we-deserve/

>>16128716

>It's time to stop blaming [them], and look at ourselves. Yes, they put us to sleep, but we let them. They used our greed, our avarice, our selfishness against us - and we let them. [They] lured us in, but we let them.

Because, let's face it, we human beings wanted what [they] were selling. We can blame them all day long, but in the end, we chose the path of least resistance

[They] need to pay for their crimes, no doubt, but we will be right back here in this same place if we don't have the courage to look within at our in souls.

>>16128847

Who forced you to look at porn?

Who forced you to spend more than you made?

Who forced you to pour drugs down your throat?

You opened your mouth and poured them down your own neck.

And yes, women should be responsible for what they wear.

They are not responsible for being violated, only the violator is responsible, but women are just as responsible for common decency as men should be.

Who forced a woman to walk around looking like a whore?

It is simply a method of garnering attention to satisfy their own selfishness.

(Hence, the "no women on the internet" train of thought - you newfags are so irritating)

Who forced you to be so greedy that you are willing to chain yourself to evil corporations to get more and more stuff?

Who forced you to give millions to Disney when their corruptness has been out in the open and in front of your face for years?

Who forced you to dress your little girls like whores, and your little boys like thugs?

Who forced you to buy their music/movies for your kids to consume?

The list goes on and on.

I would never blame a true victim, but most are not true victims. They are just "victims" of their own selfish motives and greed.

Be a man; a grown, mature adult.

Stop blaming others for what you, yourself, chose to do.

Take responsibility for your own actions.

Victim mentality, and blaming others, is what is wrong with this country

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The land and housing prices in my area are insane, but desperate people, trying to get out of urban areas, are mortgaging themselves to the hilt and paying it. Anon kind of feels sorry for them.

It will have to collapse soon under its own weight.

Rising Mortgage Rates Prompt Downward Revision to Home Price Forecasts

https://breakingheadlines.news/kmXDZf