People came to Rehoboam asking him to reduce the taxes and confiscations imposed by Solomon in building his magnificent Jerusalem (1Ki 12:17). Rehoboam believed that retraction of his father’s impositions would also reduce his Control and if government hates anything it is losing Control. He refused and the majority of the Kingdom rebelled to become the Northern Kingdom, Israel while Rehoboam retained control of the Southern Kingdom, Judah, which eventually became the root of their title we use today: Jews. God did not intervene as He promised when Samuel first delivered His warning of confiscations and taxations (1Sa 8:11-18). The people wanted a government like everyone else, who were all enslaved to Satan, and God gave them up to their desires (Ro 1:18-28). They wanted government to use its Force for Defense, sound familiar? Government has only one tool: Force. Believing one can Control this Force is the epitome of insanity for no one Controls Satan except Sin and Death (1Co 15:54-57). Samuel’s warning revealed that government will Control them through confiscations and taxations making them all slaves to the true master: Satan (Mt 4:8-10).

How does government, any government, actually gain Control? Since government does not produce anything it must take what it needs from those it is supposed to protect. Thus, government is the process whereby people choose to enslave themselves for some perceived gain. The basis on which government gains finances was discussed by Samuel: Confiscations and Taxations. The means of producing wealth does not flow from government; it comes from the individuals who develop and produce the products which others desire by they individuals or nations. Historically the means of production was limited by access to resources, technologies available to transform resources into desired products and available capital to realize one’s desires. While much of history gives the impression that lack of technology was the limiting factor, I believe that government was the true limitation. Ancient governments fought for access to wealth which was limited. Their underlying philosophies, paganistic religions, prevented people from discovering empirical truths. It was only after the Renaissance and Reformation that Western cultures began to expand their understanding and nations enter the modern industrial age. However, the true nature of governments was disguised behind empty competing Enlightenment philosophies.

Basic aspects of governments has never changed. The above graphic shows the fundamental elements of any and every national/international economy. Means of production: People/Corporations; choice; self-interest; competition and markets are dependent on government with its unfettered appetite for Control expansion based on confiscations and taxations. As long as individuals and corporations can control the development of their products and trade in the marketplace, they wield the greater Control. However, sinful people always covet more which is the basis of all sin (Col 3:5). Individuals seek to Control the means of production and the markets. Guilds, unions and associations were all attempts of Control apart from Government; however, these proved ineffective as is true of all sinners: they cheat for profit. The ancient empires eliminated this with central government Control and planning which we call socialism today. This was revived in the Progressive Era in Western nations with some countries opting for socialism by force: Fascism and Communism. The legal system enabled governments to gain Control over Corporatism for a time; however, this has been slowly reversed by governments ever expanding need for finances.