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History tells us that if the elites upset\u00a0the people they will kick back and national loyalty will not always keep them passive and patriotic. This may make some sense of the US situation.<\/p>\nHistory tells us that if the elites upset\u00a0the people they will kick back and national loyalty will not always keep them passive and patriotic. This may make some sense of the US situation.<\/p>\n
In 410 Alaric and his Visigoths sacked Rome, despite its 18 km wall that in some places was an incredible 20 metres tall. [1]<\/a><\/p>\n In 1644, the Mongol army overcame the Great Wall of China \u2013 21,000 km long and up to 12 metres wide and 8 metres high \u2013 to successfully replace the Ming dynasty with Qing. [2]<\/a> How these impenetrable fortresses were so successfully assailed? Simple: they bribed the guards.<\/p>\n In the case of the Great Wall of China this was a set-piece since guards were so impoverished that their loyalty to their stomachs was bound to outweigh an abstract loyalty to their nation.<\/p>\n In the Bible we find a story not so different to these two but pre-dating both. Before Joshua invaded the Canaanite land in a bloodthirsty genocidal massacre he sent spies ahead of him who stayed with a prostitute called Rahab who gave them access to the city wall.<\/p>\n Rahab\u2019s home was built into the city wall itself \u2013 she was literally, as well as figuratively, on the margins of society.<\/p>\n She knew the reputation the Hebrews had for winning battles and had nothing to lose in betraying her own people who used and discarded her and left her vulnerable in so many ways.<\/p>\n So she hid the spied and giving them free access in and out of the city (Joshua Chapter 2).<\/p>\n This makes sense almost instinctively. A disillusioned, disenfranchised people will rise up against their own government and side with \u2018the enemy\u2019 when they feel they have nothing to lose.<\/p>\n The USA have a historic enemy in Russia, who are suspected of interfering with both the EU referendum and the US presidential elections. Yet, among Donald Trump\u2019s supporters, respect for Russia has never been higher.<\/p>\n This from Republicans \u2013 the people who gave us McCarthyism, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Cuban Missile crisis.<\/p>\n Mid 2014 just 10 percent of Republicans held a favorable view of Putin, according to polling. Two years later, that went up to 24 percent. By December 2016 it was 37 percent.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n To Russia with love: went the American vote, despite evidence both before the election and since that Russia both supported Trump and possibly have some control over him.<\/p>\n How do we make sense of this? Disenfranchised Americans, many with a sense of colour-based entitlement, fueling their rage, would rather any government than their own!<\/p>\n Neoliberal governments continue to demonise young people, public servants, Muslims, and any scapegoats they can to blame for an economic and militarised system that isn’t working for everyone all the while demanding loyalty and unity. Can you really frighten and starve people into loyalty? Perhaps for a while.<\/p>\n Perhaps if nations spent less money on keeping people out and put more effort into respecting everyone who is in they might find that God’s peace is not like that of the world.<\/p>\n\n [1]<\/a> http:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/travel\/news-and-advice\/italy-behind-these-roman-walls-8227161.html<\/a><\/p>\n [2]<\/a> http:\/\/www.conservapedia.com\/Great_Wall_of_China<\/a><\/p>\n [3]<\/a> http:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2016\/12\/gop-russia-putin-support-232714<\/a><\/p>\n\n