The Devil dropped by for a visit.
Hello, my friend. How’s it going?
Okay, I think. Where’ve you been?
Oh, the usual places. Wall Street, Fox Studios, the Vatican, Texas.
Not Las Vegas?
Hell no! I don’t tempt people to drink, gamble, or fornicate. I’ve bigger fish to fry. You know, politicians, bankers, preachers.
And our president?
Sorry. Executive privilege.
Oh, come on. You owe me. I’ve redeemed your reputation.
Okay. I’ll tell you one thing.
I’m all ears.
When he was a young man I took him to a mountaintop and showed him all the kingdoms of the world just as I did for Jesus long ago. “All of these I will give you,” I said, “if you bend the knee to me.”
What did he say?
He said, “No. I don’t need your help. I can get them all by myself.”
He refused the KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD?!
Yes. And now look. Behold, he’s emperor. With no help from me.
Wait! He can’t be emperor! America is NOT an empire!
I know people quibble about the definition of “empire” just as they quibble about the definition of “genocide.” Such silly word games! America is, indeed, an empire. Period! You’re living in the belly of the beast.
I don’t see it that way.
Look. Your country has a military presence in 178 of the 195 countries in the world. Its ships patrol the seven seas. It has the largest economy. Its dollar dominates global commerce. Its language is the lingua franca. That’s an empire, brother! This president understands its unmatched power like no president before him.
I know he’s a wannabe king, but HE’S NO EMPEROR!
Sorry. With or without the title, HE IS. An emperor is the face of an empire, its personification, one person who requires nations to pay tribute and obeisance in return for favor and protection. All deals are made with the emperor, not the apparatus of the state. Just with him. He alone rules.
Damn! I see what you mean.
Well, lucky for you, he’s doing amazingly good things for your country and the world—with no help from me. He’s a genius. And, I might add, a much better person than you think. Calling him “evil” doesn’t make you “good.” That’s my oldest temptation!
Sorry, I’m not buying it! Jesus said that you are “the father of lies.” And you just told a helluva whopper.
