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Robert C Culwell's avatar

Request: can you chuck in a few footnotes and refs? GULAG ⛓️📚 is three volumes and Arendt ✍🏼 has multiple works. Thanks for the essay either way.

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Deborah Good's avatar

War is by governments

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Mark F. Buckley's avatar

To my eternal regret, my career overlapped extensively with the DOD, Lockheediettajet. What a waste, for all parties involved. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Clinton expanded the military budget. Half of NATO is former Russian satellites. The war machine always wins, even when it's losing wars left&right.

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Deborah Good's avatar

Regarding forgiveness: as individuals we forgive.

Governments are mandated to keep order, punish, protect, preserve justice and peace. I did not always realize the difference in what each is ordained by GOD to do. Some overlap in Christian society. Some differences.

Luke 20:25

What are families, friends, Churches mandated by GOD to do, before turning to government? Exodus 18; Matthew 18:15-17a

Individuals Matthew 5:23-26 (these days it is difficult to “go privately”, so I try to explain on my phone.

Also, Matthew 18:21-22; Hebrews 4:12-16; 1 Corinthians 1:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Churches 1 Corinthians 6:1-8:

2 Corinthians 2:5-11

GOD 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1:30; Hebrews 4:12-16; Matthew 26:26-28; Galatians 5:4

Government Matthew 18:17b; Romans 13; 5:18; Acts 23; 5:29

Have discussed how, other places: Exodus 18; due processes and human dignity

God-given dignity: Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8; Proverbs 8:31-32

Have given lots of thought to these things. 1 Snitch can be dangerous to another, since 1 witness can force someone into repression, denial ànd moral injury or death. Many seem to do this today, with phones, fear, and dirty looks. Or catch-22s, violating one rule for another. Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 31:10-12, which deplete covenant in community.

By not handling things as Matthew 18:15-17 say, ànd 21-22, we leave people in denial, or at the use of criminal forces. Romans 1:18-2:3. But our country allowed this by putting reporting before the First Amendment ànd conscience.

Due processes can help prevent this.

Grace and eventually truth, can help reverse it.

But until recently our country was growing more corrupt.

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