Listening to 1984 while I work these days, and I couldn't help but notice a list of qualities he issues to characterize a government which is treading toward dystopian authoritarianism. Here's the quote:

"And in the general hardening of outlook that set in round about 1930, practices which had been long abandoned, in some cases for hundreds of years—imprisonment without trial, the use of war prisoners as slaves, public executions, torture to extract confessions, the use of hostages, and the deportation of whole populations—not only became common again, but were tolerated and even defended by people who considered themselves enlightened and progressive."

The argument here is that those things started happening in society, but society was hardened to it so they didn't think it was all that bad. In fact, they celebrated it as if it were enlightened. Where, in fact, those things were characteristic of a society deteriorating into some kind of dystopian nightmare.

Let's break down that list, for fun:

imprisonment without trial

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remand_(detention)

the use of war prisoners as slaves

• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/07/us/terrorists-in-us-prisons.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_labor_in_the_United_States

public executions

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_imprisonment

torture to extract confessions

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_and_the_United_States#Defining_%22torture%22
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding

the use of hostages

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_Five

deportation of whole populations

• https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1140791400658870274

So, what's my point?

Both the republican and democratic parties in the United States are going in the same direction. The left simultaneously advocates socialism and rejects the practices advocated by members of the right, while those same practices were historically performed by socialists!

Americans are presented with a false dichotomy every 4 years, and we eat it up. How many times during the last election was I told by my friends, "If you vote 3rd party, you're supporting Hillary!"

What do we do? To whom do we turn? Who's right? What system of government should I advocate? Well, Psalm 19 makes this an easy decision for Christians.

"The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward."

When it says, "law", you know what the Hebrew word was in that passage? It was "Torah" (i.e. Gen through Deut). This is a passage from the Old Testament. That means, yes, the Psalmist is saying that Leviticus refreshes the soul and gives joy to the heart; Numbers is sweeter than honey, making wise the simple; Deuteronomy gives light to the eyes and warns God's servants, in keeping the law of God is great reward.

"Dirty Water."