Elder Herbie Douglas, a church and educational administrator for many years, provides a treatise on the Demise of Democracies and subtly points out that we have gone too far to recover the Republic of the United States...READ AND WEEP...and prepare for the worlds final events to make sure YOU are on the right side of the Wall post millenium:
Red Alert #214 Why Democracies Fail February 8, 2013
“In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead.” The Great Controversy, 464.
When reading an article by Thom Hartmann who lived in Germany in the 1980s and also wrote “The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight," I was reminded of a line of thought that is usually attributed to Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor who lived in the 1700s. (Hartman in next Alert!)
Tyler noted that democracies rarely survived beyond 200 years. And then asked, Why do democracies fail? Two of the major reasons are: 1) democracies generally progress through an initial period from bondage to spiritual faith escalating to the point where the citizens become totally dependent on the government to where they eventually revert back to bondage, 2) once the democracy shows signs of prosperity, citizens vote themselves generous bounties from the public treasury and then 3) various kinds of imperial leaders take over.
www.apatheticvoter.com/Article_DownfallDemocracies.htmwww.prattontexas.com/_disc1/000004aa.htm”www.prattontexas.com/_disc1/000004aa.htm
More explicitly: The professor went on to say: “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
q From bondage to spiritual faith;
q From spiritual faith to great courage;
q From courage to liberty;
q From liberty to abundance;
q From abundance to complacency;
q From complacency to apathy;
q From apathy to dependence;
q From dependency back into bondage.”
Does this not sound familiar! We’ve gone from being overtaxed by King George of England, to a new republic that accepted and protected any religious belief, to a wonderful new country with a brilliant constitution, to being the richest country in the world, to today where so many of the voters are apathetic to politics, to where a major portion of Americans are literally demanding government benefits, to eventually losing all of our freedoms (just read some sections of the Patriot Act for suggestions). Many people now believe that we are now at the “apathy to dependence” phase of the professor’s theory with over 40% of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase. (not counting S.S and Medicare recipients).
I am not able to blame all this on any particular party, either Democrat or Repubican. In fact, I hear loud rumblings of a Third Party being formed. But if Tyler is correct, and the record of history suggests he is: we have already gone down “a road too far.”
For many leaders and media pundits, a “progressive society” always finds solution—that is their mantra! Beware, they want to be judged by their intentions!
For me, the great unforeseen (by most everybody) events of history (and in our own personal lives) are intersected by the Black Swans. And as we listen to and watch on TV our political and financial leaders, I know that they are not even thinking of the Black Swans. Alexander Tyler saw them throughout history but only a few in any age aaw them coming. And that is where we are today!
What is a Black Swan in theory? Remember for most of human history in Europe and North America, all swans were white—until a black swan was found in Australia. Tyler, in retrospect, noted exactly what was happening—but probably never saw them coming.
In other words,
The event is a surprise (to the observer.
The event has a major effect.
After the first recorded instance of the event, it is rationalized by hindsight, as if it could have been expected; that is, the relevant data were available but unaccounted for in risk adverse programs.
In thinking about last-day events, the Black Swan theory is bursting to be understood. THE ONLY FACTOR THAT EVERY OTHER BLACK SWAN EVENT DOES NOT HAVE IS THIS: The Bible indeed has been warning all of us in many places, such as: “ But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
One of the facts of history is that most people can see more clearly when they look back! When it is too late!!
R&H, Aug. 5, 1902: "Those who place themselves under God's control, to be led and guided by Him, will CATCH THE STEADY TREND OF EVENTS ordained by Him to take place.” To see previous Red Alerts, go to
www.eredalert.comElder Herbert Douglas, PhD (Ordained)