This article from Bud Hancock pinpoints so many of the problems we share with America. If America, the leading Western Democracy fails, Australia fails too. May I recommend that my readers take an interest in these things.

Gibber, Gibber,

Chugley

The REAL Problem

By Bud Hancock

Introduction

In the United States one thing is, or should be, abundantly clear: We are a nation beset by a multitude of problems. Some of them are seemingly so difficult or overwhelming as to be considered “unsolvable”, at least by most of the people who are affected by them. But I disagree. No problem is actually unsolvable. It depends on the premises you have established in your approach to the problem, and then how you go about implementing solutions. Most of the problems that we can see and encounter here in the United States are NOT physical; you cannot reach out and touch them as you would a person, even though they present in the physical realm. The problems are merely the symptoms, the manifestations, of problems that exist in the unseen realm.

So Many Financial Problems

In the United States, the problem that manifests as “national debt” is only a symptom of a much greater unseen problem and it is pretty much the same in every other nation. Consider the U.S. National debt which recently tipped the scales at $34+ trillion; that’s $34,000,000,000,000. Wow, that is a lot of zeroes. When divided by the total number of American citizens, it equals in excess of $102,000 per US citizen; if that seems almost OK for your household, consider that the number of “citizens” also includes all children and infants. So if you have a wife and four children, your household’s “share” of the debt is 6 x $102,000, or $612,000. Now how does it seem?

The United States government is borrowing huge amounts of additional money, so much that your share will greatly increase day by day. In fact our government is borrowing so much money that it nearly requires the entire revenue generated by all taxes to the U.S. Government just to pay the interest on that colossal debt. Is that how you run your own household budget? I would hope not because at that rate, you would likely die before you could even pay the interest on that debt even if no new debt were generated by additional borrowing. Unsustainable? Obviously.

Crime and Violence Problems

Crime in the United States is another problem that is growing daily and exponentially. Check the current crime statistics for your own city and compare the numbers to any other time period in your lifetime;I guarantee you, it will shock you if you were not already aware of just how bad crime has gotten in the United States. Nearly every category of crime has increased in the last four years. It is so bad that, in most major cities, people are afraid to walk down the street in their own neighborhoods after dark; some even fear to walk those streets before dark. Let your young children play outside, unsupervised whether before or after dark? Only if you do not care what happens to them. It is a sad day when we realize that our country, once a beacon of hope to the world that law and order could truly be had, has now become an unholy example of lawlessness and disorder/chaos.

As with financial problems, the crime and violence plaguing our nation is symptomatic of another deep-seated problem.

Cultural Division Problems

There have always been some problems among the many cultures residing in the United States; we are  a “melting pot” of a large number of peoples, most of whom came to this country to better themselves, hoping only for a chance to become a part of the “Great American Experience”, some even call it the “Great American Dream”. During my childhood, I attended school with kids from many cultural backgrounds: white, black, Asian, South American, even a great kid whose family was from Ukraine, who incidentally became one of my closest friends in school. The cultural differences presented walls between us that were sometimes tough to deal with, but they were often overcome by sincere communication, trying to understand each other and forming bridges instead of walls. Those lines of communication were one of the acts that made life interesting and exciting. Now, instead of bridges, the walls are back and no one seems interested in trying to replace them with more bridges. Culturally, to our great shame, we are a divided nation, and that division is a visible result of the unseen problem. The ”American Dream” has now become the “American Nightmare”.

Political Division Problems

Politics, by its very nature, is divisive. The entire process of politics brings out the most evil characteristics inherent in every lost soul: the desire for power and control over others, and that bodes well for no one; in fact, look back at how the political process started (Genesis 3) and it becomes obvious that no good has ever come from it.

With the (divided by design) “political party” process that has dominated the American political scene for nearly two centuries, divisions such as we now see should not be surprising. Each party seems to believe it is the only one who can solve our mounting national problems. Too bad they are all too blinded by their desire for power and control to realize that they (both democrats and republicans) are the very ones who created the problems we all face. In my lifetime, I have never seen a “problem maker” become a “problem solver” overnight when politics is involved. If politics were even slightly capable of solving problems, we would all be stumbling over the solutions coming from politicians, trying hard to find problems to solve. Have you seen any shortage of problems here in the U.S. recently?

Too Many Problems, Too Few Solutions

The problems listed above are only a small sample of the many that are currently plaguing our nation. To list all our problems would require more time and space than I have available. With all the problems we have, the current state of mind of many Americans is dismal at best.

Having grown up in a small textile town in North Carolina in the late 40s and early 50s, most of those I knew, both family and friends, were rather poor; most were either small farmers or they worked in the cotton mills which was certainly no path to a life of wealth and ease, but I remember that most of the people I knew then were basically content, even happy, with their places in life. So they must have had another reason for their contentedness and happiness besides physical wealth. What was it, and could it contain a recipe for a solution to some, or all, our current problems?

The area where I grew up in North Carolina was considered a part of “The United States Bible Belt” where nearly every family attended church regularly, and where God was an integral part of our daily lives. We recognized His goodness and His mercy, we were grateful for what He had provided and gave Him the glory for all of His blessings to us. Because of our lack of monetary wealth, buying the necessities, not to mention the highly desired, but ultimately unaffordable, things in life was often difficult. But somehow, the fact that we KNEW God, not just knew OF Him, was enough to bring a level of comfort, peace and contentedness to our lives that the wealthy seemed unable to find.

Were there problems that beset us at times? Most certainly, but through all of them we still were thankful to God for the peace and comfort found in His word, and that peace and comfort brought rejoicing into our lives. The problems we experienced did not leave us depressed and in a constant state of mourning. In case you haven’t noticed, it is difficult, if not impossible to mourn while rejoicing.

The Real Problem

The problems discussed here are all symptoms of something that cannot be seen; but what is that? Consider the word “righteousness”.

Definition of “righteousness”

• the quality or state of being righteous.

Definition of “righteous”

• characterized by uprightness or morality; morally right or justifiable

Have you ever walked into a store and seen a sign advertising “BIG SALE ON RIGHTEOUSNESS – GET YOURS BEFORE THEY’RE ALL GONE”? Do you even know righteousness when you see it? Indeed, can it be seen? Even though righteousness is not something that can be seen, touched, or bought, the results of righteous actions certainly can be. Jewish King Solomon, considered the wisest man on Earth when he lived, fully understood the value of righteousness based on the results it produces. He wrote:

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2).

Righteousness is a spiritual quality that can be effective in tackling and solving physical problems.

Solomon knew that to eliminate the national mourning and bring the rejoicing that sustains our spirits, and indeed our nations, the leaders of nations MUST be righteous, meaning they are to be of upright character, exhibiting strong morals. Consider the leaders of the world’s nations and tell me how many you see who exhibit those qualities. Precious few, and until they are replaced with righteous men and women, the mourning will continue and the rejoicing will be in short supply.

Based on the excessive level of mourning and the dearth of rejoicing in the United States and indeed the entire World right now, I submit that the Real Problem, the greatest problem facing all of mankind is:

A Lack of Righteousness:

Where to Begin

Every human being on this Earth is affected by politics and politicians, so the choices we make in selecting those who should be serving US are critical. To simply listen to the leaders of one or another political party when they tell US who to vote for is to shirk one’s duty. Every candidate MUST be thoroughly vetted to determine his or her fitness to be a servant of the people. The vetting will require some diligent effort from every voter. It is not always fun, but until the Righteous King, Jesus of Nazareth, returns to eliminate forever the foul process of politics and set up His Righteous Kingdom, we seem to be stuck with a foul, corrupt system of governance at the national levels. If that system is controlled by only immoral, unrighteous men and women, get out your mourning clothes and let the wailing begin.

However, the real solution to the real problem begins, not with the politicians but with every person. Establish your home and family life based on God’s terms and not your own. Follow His word in every decision you make and do not be afraid to voice your stand with righteous people. You may be attacked and reviled for your stand, but you will be in good company: Jesus was also attacked and reviled. But remember the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).

Exercise your heritage, your birthright, and take a stand for, indeed demand, righteousness, in your home and in your nation.

Blessings and Maranatha!

budaroo@twc.com

Bud Hancock

budaroo@twc.com

“There is no political solution to a spiritual problem” ~ Bonnie Harvey

”Politicians are not born; they are excreted.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

“There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable; for in politics there is no honor” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” ~ Robert J. Hanlon

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason why it was put up.”~ G. K. Chesterton

Born and raised in a small textile town in North Carolina, Bud’s family moved to Michigan in the hope of finding better employment with General Motors.  After graduating from high school, Bud began an apprenticeship with General Motors to become a Metal Modelmaker.  Retiring after a 30 year career, which included an eight year stint as a Metrologist (Science of high precision measurement), he and his wife moved back to North Carolina to be near his elderly parents.  Shortly thereafter, with both of his parents having passed, he began a new career in the bank security/ATM business, advancing from an entry level technician to one of two North Carolina customer service managers for his employer.  Retiring again after 13 years, he and his wife of 51 years relocated to Tennessee where Bud began writing articles emphasizing Biblical teaching and geopolitical issues.  At age 75, he and his wife relocated to South Carolina with their Miniature Schnauzer, Baxter.  Bud continues to study God’s word and write articles on Christian living and geopolitical issues from the Biblical end times  perspective.