Draining the Swamp

My thoughts on the phrase “Draining the Swamp” in political discourse:

A drained swamp is just that. It’s nothing but mud. Putting fresh water into a swamp isn’t draining it and doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a swamp, or somehow turn it into a nice lake.

The founders of our nation didn’t give us a swamp to fill, they gave us a well-designed pool with good fountains designed to be replenished with good water. However, we’ve failed to protect and properly maintain it accordingly, turning it into a swamp. We need to restore the pool and it’s fountains back to its original condition, as well as supply it with the good waters it was only designed for. Otherwise it remains a swamp that continues to corrupt even the fresh water we put into it.

There are at least four distinct groups at work regarding “the swamp”:

The first wants to control the swamp and continue its now openly communicated fundamental transformation from what the founders gave us. They will promise and say just about anything the electorate will fearfully buy into to accomplish this.

The second just wants to control the swamp and maintain it in its current condition. They speak of reform but don’t have the political will to make the necessary changes to restore the swamp back to what the founders gave us. They too promise whatever they think the electorate will buy into, and when they succeed they just maintain the status quo which only slows, but still consistently fails to stop the fundamental transformational efforts of the first group.

The third group are a religious establishment who either deliberately stand with either of the first two groups or does so by staying out of the process. They are either indifferent or fear they will dirty their hands or souls if they were to vote at all or vote for anyone they perceive as being too worldly, even if it means letting an unapologetic tool of the devil win by default.

(Just to be clear, it is not my intention here to suggest or imply that solution to the swamp problem is only to be found within the political sphere — see 1 Timothy 2:1-7; James 2:14-26.)

Lastly, the fourth group are those who have understood for a long time that to get back to what the founders gave us would mean legitimately and lawfully working within the current system but also making difficult and unpopular choices to bring about true reform. A group that would remain resolute against the certain opposition and the slander those choices would be bring from the first three groups.

With the November 2018 mid-term elections in mind, I offer all this for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration.