The Book of Revelation has often been used as if it is a book of predictions, a guide to the future, a Nostradamus-like unveiling of a fate unbreakable. Alas, no such luck. Revelation doesn't have anything specific to say concerning the future. It is a first century writing that "reveals" the character of Empire. It reveals the violence and greed, the cruelty and self-deification of the imperial way of life. Today, centuries later, we can read this book and glean wisdom about our own American imperial way of life because history, for all its changing fads and fashions, is mostly a cycle of repetitions: rarely is there anything new under the sun.
In the sixth chapter of Revelation four horses are released symbolizing the ride of history. The third, a black horse, has a rider holding a pair of measuring scales. A voice is heard saying, "A ration of wheat for a day's wages, and three rations of barley for a day's wages, and take care not to harm the wine and oil." In other words, feed your laborers just enough to keep them working, but keep them working for cash-crops, crops that benefit the elite of society rather than crops that allow the commonwealth to prosper.
Empire is a hideous economic beast that grinds the majority into dust so that a segregated wee tiny few might declare life good. We can see this in a practical way through the correlation between unemployment rising and corporate profit escalating. In other words, the private sector, the almighty market drivers, have plenty of cash but it's not being released to circulate so that all might receive a slice of the pie. The investment class fattens as the working class thins. Meanwhile, public employment is being filleted by the sharp blade of a right-wing driven, military-corporate effort to finally destroy the economic reforms of FDR. Even as public jobs decrease, our war budget (that is, our permission to rob, rape and pillage other nations) escalates into the stratosphere. Come November we will be pounded by the bi-partisan propaganda demanding austerity, balanced budgets, social security reform and further reduction of commonwealth so that segregated wealth might be secured.
The black horse is galloping hard to shape this nation into a debt-economy of serfs and masters. What is needed is a return to the idealistic values that once formed the mythic narrative of our country. Values such as "equality for all," and "give me your poor, tired huddled masses yearning to breathe free." We need to return to FDR's vision of freedom from want and freedom from fear. Such values require great acts of courage from those who hold them. To live these values, and to organize politically around them, is the task of those whose feet are planted heroically upon the land. And whose hands are ready to knock the rider off its horse.