More Active Posts
Front Page
Kingmakers
 |
 25 Comments |
I keep coming across the word “kingmaker.” When Robert Kennedy announced for the presidency in March of 1968, and LBJ saw the handwriting on the wall and announced he would not seek another term, RFK followed noblesse oblige and sought the elder statesman’s blessing. Johnson, never fast friends with the Camelot gang, responded to his nemesis, “I am no kingmaker.”
In current news, Pakistan’s present paroxysm of power, with the incredible shrinking Musharraf walking a tightrope, is a delicate situation for American leadership, which does not want to be perceived as cutting back-room deals to put its own man in the top spot. The New York Times, noting the influence of
That’s nothing. The Almighty laughs. He just whistles and rulers who don’t even love him come running to do His bidding, chastising his people:
 |
Topic: Front Page, The World |  |
Email a friend |
 |
Keywords: Lyndon-B.-Johnson, Musharraf, Pakistan, power, Robert-Kennedy |  |
RSS 2.0 |
 |
Both comments and pings are currently closed. |  |
Share this: |
One more diversion
Andree,
I appreciate your perspective - being reminded of God’s sovereignty is always a good thing. But what should the US, as secondary agents, do in this situation? Doing nothing is a choice that has consequences too.
I believe that we confuse democracy with freedom too often in the world, cf. recent editorial by Marvin. The distinction he describes is important for successful (i.e. God pleasing) relationships at all levels, personal as well as international.
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I started reading what I thought was [finally] going to be an interesting discussion on Pakistan, only to be cruelly disenchanted by paragraph three.
That’s nothing. The Almighty laughs. He just whistles and rulers who don’t even love him come running to do His bidding, chastising his people:
This is Andree at her best. I had never thought of the Almighty as a whistler to rulers or us ordinary folk, though I shall pay careful attention now.
Peter Leavitt
Don’t get me started, Stephen. I believe posts like these are a kind of “false advertising”, “bait and switch” tactic, where the article, judging from the headline, or photo, or lede, or any combination of same, would lead a reasonable person to believe that the meat of the article is related to these same components, only to discover that they’ve been tricked, and that the ostensible subject is merely used as a jumping off point to talk about Jesus, God, the Bible, etc. When WoW first started, there was an article on the front page up for the entire weekend entitled Cairo: City of Extremes. I clicked on it, thinking that the new improved Worldmagblog was finally growing up, going international, and was going to give us insight into an important foreign city. But no, it turned out to be just the musings of a young lady missionary, who happens to be in Cairo. It said very little about Cairo, and what it did say could’ve been said about any large city on the planet. After reading it, I was more than disappointed; I was downright annoyed. I had the same feeling as you did about this article, at the very same place you did, pp 3, when it became clear that this had nothing whatsoever to do with Pakistan, but was simply a cute “God” post which came about because the work “kingmaker” attracted Andre’s passing fancy.
I find it very difficult to believe that you and I are the only ones who feel this way. I know WoW regulars for the most part would disagree, but I think first time visitors who stop by and read the post will be angry and annoyed, and will be last time visitors.
NT, quite possibly those folk would be annoyed, though, suffering from poverty of wit and imagination, they would rather miss, as you do, Andree’s acute observation of the passing scene.
Having actually read and understood the Bible, she understands that our Maker is the only serious king maker at work.
Peter Leavitt
OK, thanks Peter!
NT: Haven’t you figured out yet that this is an evangelical publication and blog? If you want something different, I suggest trying out a liberal blog.
Thanks for playing, Outkast. Please collect your lovely parting gift on the way out. Better luck next time!
Call me crazy (and I know many will) but I consider WOW to be a bit of a liberal blog, compared to a lot that I’ve seen in my day! Compared to what passed for conservatism 50-100 years ago, it’s quite liberal.
#10
I won’t make any comments on your sanity, Bianca, but I agree that wow is on a slippery slope to liberalism. The incline is very, very, slight, though, perhaps a .0000001 angle.
Thank you, Random! You’re very kind. I also applaude your mathematical ability to see that angle. And I trust the degree. I think it’s best to nip those things in the bud really early. Some people have radar, others have gaydar and I have straydar.
Hopefully you’ll forgive that dumb joke and continue to be diplomatic regarding my sanity.
I’ve been here on this blog a LOT longer than you, NT — at least as long as you’ve used that moniker, though if you’d be truthful and let us know what other monikers you’ve appeared as we’d know for sure.
Either way, I make no pretense of being a kingmaker or helping those who wish to establish themselves as such.
Oh, and I don’t play.
Oh yeah, and anyone who think this blog is too liberal needs to complain to the leftist trolls on here, not the stalwarts (Solon, Llama, DR et al) who are the standard-bearers.
I understand your point NT. By “growing up” I suppose you mean you had hoped that World would become a Time magazine that reports on world affairs without a Christian bias.
What is fascinating about this is the persistence of those who come here day after day trying to derail the Christian message and are shocked when they discover it is still not derailed. If that is your goal in life, be prepared for a long series of disappointments.
Wow. Someone even sillier than Outkast. No, I had hoped that WoW had begun reporting on world affairs, period.
I don’t mind a Christian bias. I’d like that a lot better than what I see on FOX and CNN, or read in Time and Newsweek. A lot of you people simply can’t get it through your heads that any disagreement with WoW, or the GOP, means a person is a political liberal. I’m hardly a liberal; I’m probably much more conservative politically and culturally than you are.
I don’t have a problem with Christian bias. That’s not the issue. Talking about the crisis in Pakistan and then saying it’s all moot because God is the Kingmaker isn’t Christian bias. It’s Christian fluff. And it’s not the way to be taken seriously.
Yeah, I really want WoW to sound a lot more like Time. Anyone who’s been here longer than 15 minutes knows that. But not you and Outkast.
But just keep going through life blindfolded and asleep. It’s easier that way, I’m sure.
Correction:
A lot of you people simply can’t get it through your heads that any disagreement with WoW, or the GOP, means a person is a political liberal.
DOESN’T mean a person is a political liberal.
NT
What if what was said is true: That the LORD raises up kings to accomplish His puposes. Wouldn’t you want to know that? Shouldn’t that be expressed so that we can take that into consideration when we make decisions like voting for our leaders? Why do you want to discourage this discussion before it even takes place?
What if what was said is true: That the LORD raises up kings to accomplish His puposes. Wouldn’t you want to know that? Shouldn’t that be expressed so that we can take that into consideration when we make decisions like voting for our leaders?
Well, if you really believe that, people are wasting their time voting at all. Let God whisper and Mike Huckabee or Hillary Clinton or whoever will come running, God will put them in the White House, and the voters be damned.
Night Train, your basic problem is that you lack the subtlety and nuance of thought to appreciate that Andree, while fully cognizant of the main facts on the ground in Pakistan, understands that in the final analysis our Maker and Creator is involved in history as both the ne plus ultra king maker and the final judge of just wars. Read Lincoln’s second inaugural address for a sharp lesson who made the final determination of the Civil War an as in the following:
…Yet if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled up by the bondsman’s two hundred fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn by the lash, shall be paid by another drawn by the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ” The judgment of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
Peter Leavitt
NT
So you actually know what is a waste of time and what isn’t from God’s perspective? I’m impressed!
You’re right in that God whispers and the righteous run for office. Every one else runs to satisfy their own desires. But still God puts them in the White House through the voters. But you’re wrong about “the voters be damned” part, in that it’s God’s stated desire that we all be saved from being damned.
Praise God that the King of King reigns.
Assent to SOLON’s post #5. and XION’s post # 14.
Q. Is WOW supposed to report on the news, or be an outlet for discussion about the events in the news? Perhaps I am mistaken in my expectation of it. What some consider “fluff” others consider not only intelligent but valuable insight, information, explanation and exposition.
I’ll take WOW’s sharper than a two-edged sword biblical perspective on events any day over subjective, un-inspired (as in, without the benefit of the Holy Spirit) complaints lobbed by others.
Thanks #22. It’s only trolls like NT who consider this blog to be fluff, which makes the real Christians here wonder why those trolls come here in the first place?
Maybe (hopefully!) our LORD is calling them to Him!
I once saw a Bush press conference where he referred to his term as his “reign”. Do you think he understands the difference?