[Image: Public Domain]
Isaiah 31:1 (NKJV)
31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
Nor seek the Lord!
I finished episode 13 (the first season finale) last night. I will not "spoil" the series for those who may not have watched it but I was not overly surprised by how it finished up. The "teaser" is, of course, in place, setting the stage for the next season and ensuring that those of us who have given in to the addiction will be certain to watch as soon as it is released.
And it is addictive. As an overview, this series is about the pursuit and practice of political power in present day Washington, D.C. The main characters are all Democrats, which I found to be surprising, because I would have expected the hyper-liberal springs from which this series orginated to have been more concerned to portray the main characters as Republicans. There is absolutely nothing commendable about these guys. The only thing that can recommend them is that they are insanely interesting to watch.
That's why this series is both "addictive and disturbing."
There is a fine old word that is absolutely descriptive of the main character, Francis Underwood, Majority Whip of the U. S. Senate (played in what appears to be an entirely autobiographical manner by Kevin Spacey): "amoral." You could peel this guy like an onion and when you got to the last layer you still would not find a single moral compunction in him. He is completely unhindered by conscience and he exists as the embodiment of pure ambition. Money is important only as it leads to power. Sex, marriage, friends? They are pleasant supports but ultimately expendable.
And Spacey's character is only the fullest expression. All the other characters on the show, at least those who are not portrayed as hopeless chumps who are so naive as to be unworthy of serious consideration, differ from Francis Underwood only in degree.
Major legislation in the Senate? How foolish of anyone to think that it is primarily promoted because it is in the best interest of the country. The back room deals and raw, unflinching, cold-hearted exercise of power in pursuit of personal goals is what really determines what is passed and what is not.
This is the view of our government in action that this series presents. It is disturbing because all too often I got the sense that it was absolutely true.
There is no hint of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" (watch the famous "filibuster" scene HERE) and the noble ideals which motivated him in these folks. Everything is negotiable and every relationship is viewed through the lens of "usefulness." In many ways one could say that this vision of American politics is apocalyptic because, to the degree that it is accurate, one can readily see that judgment on our political institutions is, in fact, inevitable.
When Isaiah spoke to the kings of Judah and Jerusalem, he spoke into just the kind of political environment portrayed here. Those who trusted in chariots and horses, in raw power, in political alliances, were in fact concerned first and foremost with maintaining their own position and promoting their own self-interests. They were not governed by principle unless one classifies the proposition "power is all that is important" as a "principle." And it was exactly in the face of an apocalyptic vision that Isaiah spoke. The fire that would come "when the LORD stretches out His hand" would cause all who place their faith in such things to "fall together."
The series is well named. A "House of Cards" is fragile... delicately balanced... susceptible to total destruction in a heart beat by a random shake of the foundation or a puff of wind from an unprotected direction. The spider's web of lies, involvement, liaisons and criminal actions ensure that the only ending that can justly bring this series to its ultimate close would be total, catastrophic collapse. One can "feel" the tension building as blind pride leads one character after another into converging dark alleys. Justice demands satsifaction.
And if this series is accurate... that same tension should pretty much dominate those of us who are viewing the drama in our nation's political arena unfolding also.
Watch the series... language is occasionally crude but not too often. There is very little actual nudity though sexual content is present in proportion to the main theme - as an means and access to power.
After watching the series, if you agree that it pretty accurately describes how things are actually being done, then let's throw all the bums out and get a new batch in there that hasn't had the time to become completely depraved yet.
Where is Senator Davy Crockett when we need him?
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