"The United States Is Not A Humble Country"

The above beginning statement in this article by writer Olivia Goldhill, tells us in a nutshell what the problem of the United States is ...... that it is not a humble country. In fact, it's attitude is similar to the arrogant nation of Edom in the prophet Obadiah's day (see here).

According to Ms. Goldhill's above article, the ancient Greeks did not view democracy as majority rule, but that people were free to rule or govern themselves. Ms. Goldhill quotes Josiah Ober, professor of political science and classics at Stanford University and the author of several books on early democracy. Regarding the Greek concept of democracy, the professor argues the following:

“We tend to mistranslate it [democracy] as majority rule. For the ancient Greeks, the word didn't mean majority rule, or majority tyranny. Instead it really means people have the capacity to rule themselves. That’s the core idea of democracy, the capacity for self-governance, not power of one part of the population over another part of the population. Ancient Greeks believed in widespread self-governance, and would likely be disturbed by the ignorance, apathy, and lack of political service today."

Professor Ober believes that the Greeks would describe the US as a “pseudo-democracy or straight-up oligarchy.” Regarding the ancient Greek's possible perception of the US, the insightful professor writes: "I think the Ancient Greeks would say the US is a failed democracy. They’d say the inability of the wealthy and relatively non-wealthy to come to some kind of a common judgment about things like healthcare and public education and so on is an example of a failure."

Sad to say, it's not in man's character or nature to successfully rule himself without divine assistance and guidance (Jeremiah 10:23). Thus, we must be willing to humbly place our complete trust in the Lord, and allow Him to direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:7 MEV).

Any other choice will only bring God's divine judgment upon our nation, and any other nation that forgets God (see here -- Psalm 9:17 MEV).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets