This video features hosts Dr. Mary Byrne and Lynn Morris of Changing Times interviewing guest Bill Federer, a speaker and author on American history, government, and faith. The discussion centers on the historical and biblical foundations of the American Republic, contrasting it with monarchical rule, and warning against modern tactics used to erode individual liberty.
Bill Federer begins by highlighting that the most common form of government throughout world history has been monarchy or kings [05:28]. He argues that these systems are hierarchical and lead to the suppression of opposition and free speech, citing current examples in South Korea and England [06:42].
In contrast, he explains the American system, a constitutional republic, was founded on the concept of self-government and bottom-up rule.
Ancient Israel: Federer traces the origin of this idea to the first 400 years of ancient Israel, known as the Hebrew Republic, before the Israelites demanded a king [13:08]. This was a unique period where order was maintained because every citizen was taught the law and was personally accountable to God [13:20].
American Covenant: The American founders, particularly the Puritans, looked back to this pre-king Saul period. The Mayflower Compact became the first example of taking a "covenant church form of government" and making it a "civil government," shifting the flow of power from top-down to bottom-up [15:28].
The Citizen is King: In a republic, the citizen is the authority, and politicians are simply "public servants" [18:46]. He emphasizes that this system mandates citizen participation [19:54].
The conversation stresses that biblical principles are deeply embedded in the founding documents of the United States:
Equality and Rights: The concepts that "All men are created equal" and endowed with inalienable rights are rooted in the belief that every individual is made in the image of God [30:07].
Checks and Balances: The constitutional principle of checks and balances is based on the idea that humans are sinners and any person given too much power will be tempted to abuse it [30:36].
The Church's Role: Federer contends that when pastors in a republic tell Christians to avoid politics, they are effectively creating a "negligent king" by telling the sovereign people (the citizens) to be lazy and silent. He notes that silence in the face of evil is consent to the evil [20:02].
Federer details the modern tactics used to manipulate citizens, which he calls SCOPS (psychological operations):
Fifth-Generation Warfare: This is described as a strategy to get the enemy (the people) to surrender their freedoms without even realizing they are in a war [38:32].
Crisis Exploitation: This tactic, which he attributes to Machiavellianism and Hegelian Dialectics, involves powerful figures creating or capitalizing on a crisis—like Marx's critical theory or critical race theory—to cause panic and get people to surrender their freedoms for an answer that is "just half as bad," thus consolidating control [39:28], [40:40], [42:07].
Bill Federer reminds listeners to visit his website at americanm.com [44:11] and mentions his book, Socialism: The Real History from Plato to the Present, which discusses how the deep state capitalizes on crisis to consolidate control [44:46].
He also announced his upcoming Missouri tour, which includes a stop in Springfield at the Library Center on Saturday, October 18th [43:06].
Key Discussion PointsThe Contrast Between Monarchy and RepublicFaith, Politics, and the ConstitutionThe Strategy of Brainwashing and ControlGuest Information
