'King' Obama and the fall of America

America no longer has a president in the conventional democratic sense of the word, but a king.

What else is it called when a nation's executive does the exact opposite of what the people who elected him demand and desire? If the head of a nation-state no longer reflects the will of the people, he ceases to operate as a constitutionally limited trustee and becomes a power unto himself.

While the examples of President Obama's kingly indulgences are numerous, only a few need be mentioned for foundation, i.e. executive orders as law (part of his overt "We Can't Wait" program admittedly designed to cut out Congress), voiding entire statutes via decree (e.g. U.S. naturalization code and the work-requirement provisions of the landmark 1997 Welfare Reform Act), making war without legislative authorization (which Abraham Lincoln understood to be the "worst of all kingly oppressions"), making agreements with other nations absent popular ratification and assent (Law of the Sea Treaty and his many unsanctioned foreign policy experiments with Islamic states), illegally transferring the power of Congress to unelected and unvetted "czars," assassinating and indefinitely detaining American citizens without due process, and finally, taxing the people without legal pretext (arguably the abortion mandate, the individual mandate and the various fees introduced by this president). Other earlier offenses include, but are not limited to, threatening banks with "pitchforks," firing the heads of private companies and dictating their wages, requiring that a company create a slush fund for his czars to distribute to the masses, etc.

This is a KING.

Despite this stark reality, a hard bullet to bite for Americans who remember the way things were before darkness descended on Washington, the weight given to Obama and the maniacal machinations of his posse is misplaced. Evil, and there is no other adjective to adequately describe the organized assault on freedom currently under way, cannot succeed without either the active participation and consent of those whose freedom is under assault, or alternatively, institutionalized apathy of the same.

Some are sure to take offense at the following assertion, but by word, deed, or the lack thereof, Americans have invited the destruction of their constitutional republic and the elevation of one man or "king," above all else. President Obama is the living embodiment of ancient Greek philosopher Polybius' "Cycle of Government."

On a deeper level, Obama is the consequence of a nation without God. And America, to a great degree, is a nation without God. America has many "gods," but to determine whether a nation has a dominant faith, it is necessary to look at where it spends the most of its time. America spends less time in pews than at any other time in history, and it spends more time in arenas and theaters. America worships entertainment. Where to turn when the money funding the entertainment cult dries up?

When people are without material security, and the walls of the house that is a nation-state seem structurally unsound, two directions are possible: a march into the sanctuary, or a march into the halls of government. America has opted for the latter, choosing to place its faith in man, specifically in a man and not in the saving power of its past God. The results of such a trajectory are never pleasant for the subject populace. Assuming, for a moment, that no true unitary deity exists, and that worship of a Judeo-Christian God is of little value, consider that when America has worshiped said deity, it has been the most free and most prosperous. Could it perhaps be that the values engendered by such Judeo-Christian socialization are the most conducive for and consistent with the principles of freedom and liberty that undergird the American way of life?

Without assuming solely a Judeo-Christian consumption of this column, it is useful to examine some key Bible passages of unique modern-day relevance to Americans.

The following scene is a description of Israel, circa B.C.

In the days of the Bible, Israel was ruled by "Elders" who represented the people but had no concrete power – in other words, democracy.

The Book of Samuel tells us that during this period, the Israelites faced a powerful invader and envied the other nations for their efficiency and apparent lack of turmoil. Israel demanded the Elders "appoint a king" to "judge us like all the nations." Samuel warned the Israelites that a king would take everything from them, their land, the fruits of their labor, and send them to die in war. He concluded his warning with a powerful admonition:

"Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you. …"

The Israelites chose to have a king, against all wisdom to the contrary. That much is clear.

But how has America chosen to appoint Obama its king? Haven't most Americans fought and resisted the actions of the president? In word, maybe, but not in deed. At the subconscious level, America's plight grows more complex, especially when the generational element is factored in.

America chose to have a king, "like the other nations," when it placed individual and personal pursuits above civic duty to politically engage. Voter turnout amongst Republicans and traditionally minded Americans has steadily declined over the last few decades. As the "me" generation has assumed the dominant position in society and the "greatest generation" has slowly but surely died off, the communal "we" has become less and less visible.

America's psyche has undergone a vast makeover at the subterranean level. No longer do Americans by and large rush to God amidst a crisis. Rather, those products of the FDR generation and their descendants have been reprogrammed subconsciously to rush to government as the cure for their ills, especially during periods of crisis. A Pew Forum study done in October of 2008 found that a sizable majority of Americans believe government can "solve" our nation's problems. The American Dream evolved substantially from earlier surveys. Earlier surveys registered majorities aligning strongly with the view that "there are no limits to growth in this country." The October 2008 study saw a shift from this view to a large percentage embracing the notion that "people should learn to live with less." When Obama was elected, he obliged, chillingly uttering the words, "Only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe. Only government can break the cycle that are [sic] crippling our economy. That's why we need to act boldly and act now. ..."

America has voted with its soul. We traded financial security later for food stamps and government housing now.

We no longer value freedom, its risks and its benefits. We no longer want to, as Patrick Henry did, live free, even if it means our death. We would rather be molested at airports and have our emails reviewed by government analysts for our "protection."

We no longer see economic hardship as a growth opportunity and chance for ingenuity; we would rather trade the potential for prosperity for a full tank of gas and a charismatic face on our television sets telling us he "feels our pain."

We no longer see business as a path to individual success and the realization of dreams, but as an evil entity that prizes greed above the individual.

We no longer see government as our servants, but as our employers.

We do not want independence, but dependence.

We no longer mistrust government, but trust government with our lives and fortunes.

We, Americans, are the reason for Obama.

We will not unseat this king unless we first unseat ourselves. As long as we use our careers, our families, our hobbies, our pastimes and our vices as excuses for inaction, those whose careers, pastimes, hobbies and vices consist of the orchestrated and total transformation of the United States from free nation to despotic and destitute wasteland will continue their "forward" march.