"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried"—Winston Churchill.
As the United States leads the West in attempting to promote democracy around the world, news reports continue to give evidence that even the best form of human government is doomed to failure. Repeatedly, we witness confirmation of the fact that the world needs to be rescued by the leadership of Jesus Christ through the government of God.
Review the philosophy by which He will govern: "Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord .
"He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth. He will be clothed with fairness and truth" (Isaiah 11:1-5, New Living Translation).
Consider that against the backdrop of the Abramoff scandal in the American Congress. Christ will not rule via lobbyist influence.
As we go to press, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a snap election in an attempt to fend off a national uprising over perceptions of his misrule and shady business dealings by his family.
The Philippines suffered an attempted coup d'état a few weeks ago, when a group of military officers attempted to overthrow President Gloria Arroyo. She has been embroiled in controversy ever since she succeeded the corrupt Joseph Estrada in 2001. Having said she would not be a candidate for the presidency in the scheduled 2004 election, she changed her mind and won the contest, which was later challenged on legal grounds. Her campaign was accused of using taxpayer funds, and she was personally accused of interfering with election officials.
