Donald Trump's Actions Present a Threat to Civilized Society.
The internal and external policies – from the attempted coup in the past to current moves and statements – erode not only national and global jurisprudence. But that’s not all.
These actions endanger the very concept of civilization itself.
The moral purpose of civilized society is to stop the more powerful from preying upon and using the weaker. Failing that, we risk being permanently immersed in a conflict of all against all where only the fittest prevails.
This concept lies at the center of America’s founding documents. It is equally the core of the postwar international order championed by the United States, built on collective action, democratic governance, human rights, and the supremacy of law.
Yet, it is a vulnerable construct, frequently ignored by those who choose to misuse their influence. Upholding it necessitates that the powerful have enough integrity to abstain from seeking temporary advantages, and that the rest of us demand responsibility if they don't.
Unchecked strength does not make right. It makes for instability, chaos, and conflict.
Each instance entities that are richer and more powerful attack and exploit those that are weaker, the fabric of society weakens. Should such behavior are not contained, the fabric unravels. If not stopped, the world can plunge into chaos and war. History provides ample precedent.
Our current reality is a international landscape with deepening divides. Authority and resources are more concentrated than in recent memory. This creates conditions for the privileged to take advantage of the less fortunate because they perceive themselves as above the law.
The resources of certain tycoons is difficult to fathom. The power of global industrial giants spans numerous countries. Advanced technology is likely to consolidate wealth and power to a greater degree. The destructive power of the major powers is unmatched in the annals of time.
Supported by a compliant faction and a pliant supreme court, the highest office has been transformed into the supreme and answerable-to-none instrument of government in history.
Combine these factors and you perceive the looming crisis.
A direct line connects past transgressions to present-day threats. Each were premised on the arrogance of absolute power.
You see a similar pattern in other global contexts: in wars of aggression, in coercive diplomacy, and in the global depredation by powerful corporate entities.
But, raw power does not establish right. It fosters instability, revolution, and armed conflict.
History shows that frameworks designed to check the powerful also protect them. Absent these limits, their insatiable demands for increased control and resources in time lead to their downfall – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And threaten international catastrophe.
Such disregard for rules will plague the nation and the world – and indeed a rules-based order – for a long time.
