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December 26, 2022
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We all knew a kid in school who just had to run everything. Remember the classmate who insisted on picking the games you’d all play at recess, where you’d go after school, even who was “in” or “out” of your group? In high school, that kid had a compulsive need to be the leader of every student organization. You just wanted to say, “Hey! You’re not the boss of me!” Whatever happened to those kids? I wouldn’t be surprised if most ended up in government. We certainly have no shortage of people there who think they know how to live your life and spend your paycheck better than you do.

I’m convinced the world is divided into people who just want to live their own lives and those who, for some reason, have an uncontrollable urge to tell everyone else how to live. Unfortunately, to that latter group, government seems like the ideal place to work, and at the moment, they are getting 99.9% of all the attention from the media. As more of them gravitated toward government, Congress abdicated much of its legislating authority to unelected bureaucrats. Their bureaus grew like kudzu, and so did their regulations with the force of law (but no input from the people.) Then one day, we looked up and discovered we had a crushing national debt and were paying huge salaries to an army of people who enforce how big your soda should be and who couldn’t be fired and who is allowed to come into your daughter’s locker room. That’s when sane people realized that government is the LAST place these out-of-control control freaks needed to be.

The temptation for government to overreach is hardly new. In fact, it stretches back to the beginning of recorded history, and I bet even earlier than that. There’s a story in the ninth chapter of the book of Judges in the Old Testament about Gideon’s son Abimelech, who craved leadership and stature - not to serve the people but to control them and make them serve him. He said, “Give me dominion over your lives, and I will simplify your existence.” Wow, does that sound familiar? It’s basically the entire Democratic platform. Our government has taken us pretty far down that same road, but does your life seem any simpler -- or just a lot less free?

Anyway, back to Abimelech. He had a very smart younger brother, Jotham, who came up with a clever tale about three trees: an olive tree, a fig tree, and a vine tree. All three were fine trees that produced lots of fruit. All were offered the exalted position of “King Of All Trees,” but all three turned it down. The plant that wanted to be “King Of All Trees” was the bramble bush, a weak plant that produces no fruit at all. Jotham’s point was that only the weak and nonproductive have the desire to rule everyone else. Does that lesson not resonate like a gong right now?

When anyone aspires to a position of power, take a long, hard look. If that person seemingly crawled out of the cradle with an ambition to be President, then beware! Anytime someone talks about “running the country,” alarm bells should sound. No one – not the President, not Congress, no one person – “runs the country” or should aspire to.

That’s why the Founders took such pains to divide and limit federal power, and why we need to reinstate those limits that have been trampled in recent years, whether by Presidents ruling via executive order or out-of-control judges legislating from the bench or unelected bureaucrats abusing their power to try to influence the results of elections. If we allow any one person or entity to ignore those limits and assume the power to run everything, we won’t be able to stop them when they run America into the ground.

We should pick leaders who resemble the trees in the Bible story that don’t need or crave power but that have shown they bear good fruit. As it is said, by their fruits ye shall know them. Government has more than enough nuts already.

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Comments 1-10 of 142

  • Valerie Schirmer

    01/01/2023 11:55 AM

    Hi Mike,
    I read your newsletter faithfully, and watch you every Saturday night on TBN. It's the one "talk" show my husband and I can relate to.
    This newsletter hit home for me. I am what you can call "overly" educated. Yes, there is such a thing. Let me explain.
    I am the first in my family to go to college. But by choice? Maybe my father's choice. I took an aptitude test in high school, and found out I excelled in math and science. So my parents (father) enrolled me in college to become a pharmacist, because they "made a lot of money". I floundered for 6 years and finally received a Bachelor's in Biology with a minor in math (how I got there and the backstory can earn rights to a book deal, I assure you). However, my GPA was less than stellar because I took a Physics class where the tenured professor felt that "women don't belong in Physics" and failed me no matter what attempt I made. I even brought it to the attention of the Dean who told me that there was nothing they could do because the professor was tenured, so I should "concentrate" on the rest of my classes. Talk about true discrimination. It's amazing how one "F" grade in college can derail your overall GPA.
    So I settled on the one job I was eligible for. A laboratory scientist in a hospital. And no, I wasn't the "vampire" that drew your blood. I was the one who analyzed it and helped the doctor diagnose your illness. And not to brag, but after 20 years, I was really good. But to excel and advance in my career in healthcare? I didn't have the coveted "RN" after my name, so no one gave me a second glance. I went after another Bachelor's degree in Health Administration hoping it would help. According to my advisor, healthcare was "where it was at" and this degree would open so many possibilities. I couldn't lose! I prayed to God she was right. Where did it get me? Not an advancement, I'll tell you. More in debt and an alcoholic liver - earning half as much an an RN with twice (+) as much education. Then COVID hit - need I say more? You think RNs were overworked? Who do you think tested all of the millions who were positive with COVID? Let's talk about those unsung heroes.
    After reading your newsletter, I wonder if printing was better suited for me. I know how to read a tape measure/ruler with the best of them. I really wish I had the advice to guide me into a career that would pursue happiness over money. Because I am the true embodiment of that fact. And that a 4 year education is not the be-all-to-end-all. I wish I had more role models and better guidance, but saddled with debt from my second degree, I'm stuck. There's no do-over for me, and I'm trying to provide more insight for my son, who graduates next year.
    Sincerely,
    Valerie Schirmer

  • Jim Calhoun

    12/28/2022 09:10 AM

    Governor, I read your news letter eagerly every day. Thank you!

    The words we use do matter and I would point out the recent usage of “commander in chief”! Our presidents are commander in chief of our military but NOT of our country’. In a civilian context a commander in chief is a dictator. And that is exactly the direction we have been pushed by liberals!

  • Jerry

    12/27/2022 03:03 PM

    Please don't get me wrong I like someone doing something nice for me now and then However I have to do most of my evert day tasks myself. We have so many people talk about slavery that were not a part of slavery 250 years ago but seem to know all about. America didn't"t invent slavery it was around centuries before it was introduced to America. it was and still is being used around the world for profit. Today Business practices try to get the labor costs as minimum as possible. Corporations today pay low wages to groups that will work for low wages what is that called. Benefit packages got smaller over the decades for workers if any even exist for low wage workers. What does one call that? When Corporations can spend millions on election campaigns what does that tell one? Military, Seniors, Heads of Families, members struggle to have a quality of life, with inflation caused by the Corporate candidate elected to govern. What does one call that? What's the difference between collusion and slavery just a different way of empowerment over people. Look at your Urban areas away from the downtown center of commerce one has urban decay, slums areas no-one and some police departments will not enter these community what does one call that? Low wages low income just what Corporations want low life style of living and low income people high income people have elected the right people to keep it that way the people want a slavery style enivorment the election of Donald Trump showed the people you don't have to be a slave however the population spoke and this country wants slavery. Look at the Southern border No they are coming from ships with chains and sold on a platform, they come on their own begging to become a slave just a different technique this government is using the democratic party a party to enslavement they did then and are doing it now.

  • Ilona Davis

    12/27/2022 12:54 PM

    I love your articles on your FB page! They are easy to understand and I can read one of your articles a day and eliminate reading several others and understand a lot more of what is going on in our world around us!
    Your special gift of inserting humor into everything takes the edge off some of the most disturbing news you cover!
    Please keep up the good reporting and I’m looking forward to the New Year and wishing you and your staff the very best in 2023!
    A faithful fan!

  • Winnie Witt

    11/29/2022 08:59 PM

    Must be HICKORY NUT TREES trees! Loved that commentary. SO VERY TRUE!!!

  • Stephen H Ruble

    11/29/2022 08:53 PM

    Gov Huckabee, you are spot on I think a lot of politicians are so old in their thinking that they have sold themselves to the devil, that they forgotten. They really think they have gotten to these great heights on their own. God told us also, that we shall their true colors. They have forgotten that they work for the people, not us working for them.

  • Giovanni Catanese

    11/29/2022 01:50 PM

    Great article! Sadly many apparently "good" leaders become corrupt when they acquire the "seat" and sell their souls to keep it instead of standing for they people they supposedly represents. Or, they don't have the "attributes" to stand for their principles and are easily swayed by the "elders" among them. This sad reality will destroy our country from within!

  • Paul Marner

    11/29/2022 10:41 AM

    Amen. Once again,the bible gives us all some proper guidance on how to rule ourselves,not others.

  • Philip Tinnes

    11/29/2022 08:48 AM

    Well written. We did have a Sunday school lesson on this as we go through the Book of Judges.

  • Daniel Pruitt

    11/29/2022 08:36 AM

    As one of those ordinary people who want nothing more than for the government to leave us the heck alone, I think the above is excellent. If only those in authority would pay attention to it. Those of us who are "ordinary people" have to stand up against those who feel "entitled" to rule the country. All too often, those people are the ones who get this nation into trouble, either involving us in wars we have no business in, or social "programs" that give money to those groups they, the "entitled" feel need more money.