Is government a reflection of the family unit? Or is the family unit a reflection of government?
I don’t have the answer, but the question is worth pondering.
I have been exposed to two different forms of governing and parenting—those will be my points of reference.
The Rule of Fear:
An Egyptian household is ruled by fear. The father figure is the Bogeyman who will yell, curse and at times give the children a beating for breaking the rules. There is no questioning in the household. Actually, there is no questioning or reasoning whatsoever. If you dare to question anything, you are automatically labeled an ‘ungrateful bastard’.
In so many ways, it is similar to the way the governments operate in that part of the world. Their rule is based on fear and terror. A person can be jailed for any simple expression of opinion. A television show can be canceled because the host criticizes the government.
Religion is a tool of applying those tactics.
The Rule of Distraction:
An American household is ruled by distraction. Go into a child’s bedroom and count the number of toys that one child possesses. Every child now has an iPad or shiny screen playing their favorite tunes to distract them. A parent entertains the kids’ choices and desires; and the parent will promise the kids that toy or that candy to get them to do what he or she wants but doesn’t necessarily fulfill that promise. The parent will get away with fulfilling such a promise on a technicality of bad behavior or something.
In comparison to the government, look at a political campaign. A candidate will make so many promises to the people to win their votes, yet those promises are rarely fulfilled once the votes are counted. The government encourages the citizens to buy and consume as a form of distraction. The more you buy, the more you buy into the distraction. At age 18, the first credit card is received. By age 21, the average person finishes college with a sizeable amount of debt, which will ensure their assimilation into the system.
Your bank account is the way to you.
Therefore, I will ask again.
Is government a reflection of the family unit? Or is the family unit a reflection of government?
