Eyes Only

To: POTUS

From:  Secretary of State Roberts

RE: Initial contact with The Kingdom

In light of the current crisis, I request that the President read this discussion with Adoniyah, the ambassador from the Kingdom, immediately. 

Adoniyah: I am sure Emperor Yeshua appreciates your affirmation, Ms. Roberts.  But the Kingdom is a sovereign nation with or without your approval.

Roberts: Um, yes, of course.  Your king prefers “Yeshua”, Minister?

Adoniyah: Yes.  It is only an accident of language that you Englishers call him “Jesus”.  He prefers Emperor Yeshua.

Roberts: The United States is not prepared to call him “emperor” however.

Adoniyah: Many within your nation many have been calling him so for years.  “King of Kings” is simply another word for “Emperor.”  But Yeshua will do.  There is really no other you could be referring to, and the emperor is not one to be sticky about titles. 

Roberts: That is good to know.  Is Yeshua open to a visit to the United States?

Adoniyah: In time.  There is much to consider before a formal visit can be arranged.

Roberts: True.  Of course, first on the American agenda is to open up the possibilities of trade. 

Adoniyah: This could be difficult.  The Kingdom recognizes no form of currency, and there will be no banking or currency within the borders of the Kingdom.

Roberts: That is… unprecedented, Minister.  And perhaps unwise.  After all, black market currency would, I’m sure, circulate freely…

Adoniyah: Not if everything is offered to all within the Kingdom without the need for it.  Why go through the effort of obtaining American dollars when that which you desire is granted without it?

Roberts: Surely you won’t be providing everything to your citizens.  For instance, alcohol.

Adoniyah: What about alcohol?

Roberts: Is it your plan to make it illegal?

Adoniyah: Why should we do that?  Wine is served at most every meal. 

Roberts: Well, then, what about illegal drugs?

Adoniyah: These are minor issues, in fact.  Addiction, as a medical condition, is eradicated by our health program and the social necessity of addiction is also eliminated.

Roberts: What is the social necessity of addition, if I might ask?

Adoniyah: Oppression.  In any case, you can see that trade with the currencied nations is difficult.  For now, we would have to bypass trade, until we can establish a means of trade. 

Roberts: Perhaps we could establish a means of barter.  We would have to work out a measure of value, however. 

Adoniyah: Good.  We can have some of our economists gather and figure this out.  Speaking of economics, this relates to the next item on my agenda.  Your poor.

Roberts: OUR poor?  I’m sure we should be more concerned about your poor, Minister.

Adoniyah: We appreciate your concern, Ms. Secretary.  But I assure you, we are taking care of our own.  We are meeting with each nation to be sure that they all do the same.

Roberts: I am not sure what business it is of yours.

Adoniyah: It is the desire of our entire government that the poor of the world be cared for.

Roberts: Very noble.  But we have welfare and earned income credit.  And there are many social agencies for our poor.  Our “poor” are wealthier than many of your middle class.

Adoniyah: Superficially, that is true.  And I admire your programs.  Although less complete than many of the European counterparts, your welfare programs are far better than most nations of the world.

Roberts: I will pass your affirmation on.  I am sure that the president will appreciate the sentiment.

Adoniyah: However, it is incomplete.  Poverty is sourced in two ways: economic social rejection and lack of renewable wealth.

Roberts: I’m not sure what you mean.

Adoniyah: Economic social rejection is to be of a social class that is prejudiced against.  This perpetuates poverty.  For instance, your homeless and your mentally ill.  For whatever reason they become poor, their poverty is perpetuated by the rejection your society puts on them.

Roberts: But many—perhaps most—of our social programs are for these groups.

Adoniyah: But look at the social programs you have.  Giveaways of throwaway items, such as clothes or food.  A tiny income for a small percentage, who prove to you that they are incapable.  Housing for an even smaller percentage.  These programs indicate that you consider these people to be incompetent, unable to help themselves.

Roberts: Well, perhaps if they would help themselves, we wouldn’t need these programs.

Adoniyah: And, right there, ma’am, is why these peoples are economically disadvantaged.  Because these peoples cannot fit themselves in your narrow economic model, you assume that they cannot help themselves.

Roberts: Narrow?  We have a variety of options for our citizens.

Adoniyah: Few of them provide livable incomes, however.  One must have a particular kind of economic patronage, at least 40 hours a week, in order to have a livable income.  Or be of the top 5 percent of income earners.

Roberts: Be that as it may, I don’t see what this has to do with helping our poor. 

Adoniyah: Perhaps nothing.  Over time, I would like some of our experts on poverty to work with your social programs to create new models of assisting your citizens in poverty.

Roberts: I’m sure that can be arranged.  At your expense, of course.

Adoniyah: What expense?

Roberts: Transportation, housing, income…

Adoniyah: This is already naturally provided.  Anyone who can instantly be transported anywhere on the globe, need not worry about transportation or housing costs.

Roberts: Oh, of course.  I forgot.

Adoniyah: The other poverty issue is the one I really wanted to discuss with you: Renewable wealth.

Roberts: I’m not sure what that means.

Adoniyah: All of the economic benefits you provide to your poor are consumable.  Currency can only be used once and then must be obtained again.

Roberts: We do give welfare every month, of course.

Adoniyah: Of course.  But it is impossible to build wealth with what you give them.  It can only be used and then one must wait until the next check comes.  The same with food or clothes.  These goods are consumable, not renewable.

Roberts: And what would you propose that we do about this?  What kind of renewable income are you talking about?

Adoniyah: Land.

Roberts: You want us to have a welfare program that distributes land?

Adoniyah: We figured that you would want it to be equitable, so rather than a welfare program, it could be a simple re-distribution program.  Every adult member of your society receives some land.

Roberts: This is insane.  First of all it would never happen.  Most of the land is owned by private owners, and we can’t steal their land and somehow I think that they wouldn’t give it freely for us to redistribute to others.  Secondly, even if we gave the poor—or anyone else—land, they would just sell it.  This would not be renewable at all.  It would just be another form of consumable wealth.

Adoniyah: The ancient program is still the best one: the land cannot be sold or taken away from the family it was originally granted to.  It can be rented or leased for up to seven years.  But the ownership cannot be transferred, except upon death.  This would not provide much of an income, necessarily, but it would be a resource that every single person can use to their benefit.  If not to make money, at least to have land to live on.

Roberts: You intend to create an agrarian society?  The far majority of our people are born urban-dwellers.

Adoniyah: We are not telling you to be an agrarian society.  Rather, it provides people with an agrarian option, should they prove unable to be urban.  We would also work with the religious organizations in your nation to provide education and the basic resources to begin living independently as agrarian. 

Roberts: I am sure that most poor wouldn’t appreciate this option.

Adoniyah: More would accept it than you think.  And as pockets of subsistence agrarian economies develop, more will join.  It isn’t the only solution to poverty, no.  But it is a better option than you have ever provided. 

Roberts: This is an interesting ideological discussion, but it will never happen.

Adoniyah: You do not understand, Ms. Roberts.  You dealing with your poverty is not a request on our part, but a demand. 

Roberts: A demand?  As a nation not yet ten years old you are hardly in the place to demand things of the United States.

Adoniyah: Of course we are.  If you refuse to give land to at least your poor, then we will stop your rain.  If you continue to reject our demands, we will cast fire on your government buildings.  We will continue from there.  Again, we are serious about having your poor cared for.

Roberts: (Silence for a full minute)  If you threaten us like this, there will be repercussions. We are not helpless, you know.

Adoniyah: Which is the next item on my agenda, Ms. Roberts: weapons.

Roberts: Which weapons, Minister?

Adoniyah: All of them.  Nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional.  Everything from your nuclear arsenal to a handgun.

Roberts: (Becoming angry) And what could possibly be your request?

Adoniyah: Of course, they would not be necessary any more, Ms. Roberts.

Roberts: (Laughs) I hardly think that it would be the Kingdom’s business…

Adoniyah: But of course it is.  The Kingdom is not just interested in keeping peace within itself as its own nation.  Rather, the goal is, has always been, world peace.

Roberts: I assure you that this has been the goal of the United States since its inception…

Adoniyah: That is not true, Ms. Roberts, and please do not begin our relationship on such weak ground as you thinking you can deceive me as to your intentions.  Your goal is to maintain the United States as an economic, military and political leader of the world.  This is no longer the case.  You have a voice, but it grows smaller every day. As you know, you have insurrections within your own borders by the Christians who want to make the United States a colony of the Kingdom. 

Roberts: Small pockets.

Adoniyah: Not so small should you aim your military against the Kingdom as a target, I assure you.  You would have every right to question the loyalty of some of your most loyal troops.  Your Christendom is being dismantled.

Roberts: (Aghast) We have never been a Christendom.

Adoniyah: I agree.  That never stopped your leaders from using Christendom language to support your position around the world.  Would you have had the support in the Middle East to obtain oil were it not for the eschatological assumptions of much of your constituency?  Well the eschaton is here.  And this brought confusion, because it was not what was expected.

Roberts: What does this have to do with out weapons?

Adoniyah: I am simply pointing out that you do not have the world position that you once did.  Not all, but much of your power was based on allowing the Christians in your nation to have assumptions that you were meant to rule.  Those assumptions have been stripped.  I do not know your specific plans for the future, but I do know human nature.  You will want to maintain your power base.  Unfortunately, we cannot allow that.  Transfer of power can be… terribly violent. 

Roberts: I have not noticed that the Kingdom is hesitant to use violence.

Adoniyah: Yes, we eliminated those who enacted violence against us.  We shall continue to do so.  But our goal is to prevent as much violence as possible, including to defang potential enemies.

Roberts: You see the United States as an enemy?

Adoniyah: Not really.  Our hope is to eliminate the United States as a potential enemy so that we might work together as allies.

Roberts: And you plan to do this by eliminating our weapons?

Adoniyah: Correct.

Roberts: Well, we can negotiate a proposal for disarmament, but we would want it to be equitable…

Adoniyah: It would be.  We have no need for technological weapons.

Roberts: But I can tell you, it will be a long process.  And it is in our foundational rights that all citizens have the right to have weapons.

Adoniyah: I want to assure you that we are not interested in eliminating all weapons.  Only the technological ones.  The ones that can kill another person without thought.

Roberts: Even so, this will take some planning.

Adoniyah: Not at all.  It is already done.

Roberts: (Looking around at her agents, smiling)  I can assure you it is not.

Adoniyah: (Confident) I can assure you that it is.

Roberts: (To Agent)  You still have your weapon.

Agent: (Without moving) Yes, ma’am.

Adoniyah: Please check your ammunition.

Agent: (Without moving) Sorry, sir.  It is against policy.

Adoniyah: You can call another guard in to look over you as you check.

Agent: Ma’am?

Roberts: Please.  I’d like to move on, and we need some proof, one way or another.

Agent: Yes ma’am.  (Whispers into his communicator.)

Roberts: (Turning to Adoniyah) You people are really arrogant, you know.

Adoniyah: Becoming rulers of the world does that, of course.

Roberts: I thought that you upheld humility.  Isn’t that a Christian virtue?

Adoniyah: I am not a Christian, ma’am.  But from what I understand, humility is a virtue of the oppressed.  Remaining lowly in the light of rebellious authorities, and awaiting God’s raising.  We are raised now, ma’am.  We wish to be polite, but it is better for everyone if we remain in control.

(The sound of running in the hall, outside the door.)

Roberts: (To Agent) What is going on?

Agent: (Speaking into his communicator, clearly agitated)  Just a moment, ma’am.

Adoniyah: Having found that their ammunition is missing, they are scrambling to find any.  They don’t want me to know that they are now weaponless.  But I already knew that.

Agent: Ma’am, we have to leave. Immediately.

Adoniyah: All your weapons are eliminated, ma’am.  Every nuclear warhead, every gun, every bomb, every bullet—they are all disarmed.

Roberts: (Being pushed out the door, quickly) We will speak again…

Adoniyah: Oh yes, we will.  (And he disappears)

Roberts: What the hell…

Secretary of State Roberts is quickly moved out of the building to the plane outside.  The Secret Security agent brings Secretary Roberts up to date about the situation concerning weapons.  Every weapon on each guard is empty of ammunition.  Because of the lack of protection, it was decided that the Secretary be transported immediately back to the United States.  Before the plane leaves the runway, the following conversation is held:

Roberts: What kind of magic trick is this?  How could they possibly cause our ammunition to disappear?

Agent: I don’t know, ma’am. 

Adoniyah: (Appearing suddenly) Hello again.

Roberts: (Startled) Damn—what the…

Agent: (Grabbing Adoniyah and putting him into a hold) Reinforcements, now!

Adoniyah: Don’t kill him, Uriel.  Just immobilize him.

The Agent’s arm is forcibly, but invisibly, taken off of the Minister, pulled behind the Agent’s back and an audible crack is heard.  The sound of other agents are outside the plane’s office door, but none come in.

Adoniyah: (Facing Secretary Roberts, her eyes wide, staring at him)  This is no diplomatic game, Ms. Roberts.  We are serious about our demands, and we intend to enforce them ourselves, if we must.  We have an uncountable army, because you cannot see them.  Every soldier in our army is stronger than any human, able to instantly transport themselves anywhere on earth and able to do anything, gather any information completely unseen.  We are not asking your weapons to be disabled.  They already are.  All of them.

Roberts: That is impossible…

Adoniyah: What was impossible is now everyday, Ms. Secretary.

Roberts: What gives you the right…

Adoniyah: The destruction of good people throughout the globe.  Yahweh had given you the opportunity to rule the globe.  And instead of creating peace on earth, justice for all, including the poor, you did what every other empire did.  Re-shape the world so that the majority of resources were available to your people, for the benefit of your wealthy.  We will admit, you were not the worst of empires.  No, there were many empires in the past that were worse, and this last evil empire was far worse.  Nevertheless, we intend to make it certain that such wars that took place this last century—nay, for the last millennia—would never occur again.  You want war?  It will never come down against the Kingdom, that we will be certain of.  But even should you war against other nations, it will be with spears and arrows.  Even your planes will be disabled for now to eliminate any possible repeat of 9/11.  Any planes will only be able to take off by asking permission from the Kingdom.  We are serious about creating a new world of peace, Ms. Roberts.  We are serious about seeing the poor of the world have equality.  And we have the means to make our demands occur.

Roberts: Are we allowed to take off and go back to the United States?

Adoniyah: Yes, of course.  I will visit you in Washington soon.  That will be our next communication.

Roberts: Then please leave the plane. 

Adoniyah: If you wish.  I am sorry to have embarrassed you.  I hope we will be able to work together toward similar goals, now that the ancient goals have finally been set aside.  (He disappears).