Trump's Policies Pose a Threat to Civilization.
The internal and external initiatives – ranging from the attempted coup five years ago to latest moves and warnings – erode both domestic and international law. But that’s not all.
These actions endanger the core idea of civilization itself.
The ethical foundation of a functioning society is to stop the more powerful from attacking and exploiting the weaker. Otherwise, we would be trapped in a state of nature where survival of the strongest prevails.
This principle lies at the center of the nation's founding texts. It is equally the foundation of the global system established after WWII advocated by the US, which stresses multilateralism, democratic governance, individual liberties, and the supremacy of law.
However, it is a vulnerable construct, often broken by those who would exploit their power. Upholding it requires that the influential have the moral fortitude to abstain from seeking short-term wins, and that the rest of us hold them accountable if they don't.
Unfettered might does not equal right. It leads to turmoil, upheaval, and war.
Every time people or corporations or countries that are wealthier and stronger target and use those that are weaker, the structure of society unravels. If these actions are not contained, the system fails. Without intervention, the world can plunge into disorder and conflict. We have seen this pattern previously.
Our current reality is a international landscape grown vastly more unequal. Authority and resources are more concentrated than in modern history. This encourages the privileged to take advantage of the disadvantaged because they act with a sense of above the law.
The resources of a small group of tycoons is staggering. The reach of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors extends over much of the globe. Artificial intelligence is likely to centralize resources and influence even more. The offensive capability of the major powers is without parallel in the annals of time.
Empowered by a compliant faction and an accommodating judicial body, the presidency has been transformed into the supreme and answerable-to-none entity of government in the modern era.
Consider this confluence and you see the looming crisis.
A direct line ties previous transgressions to ongoing menaces. Both were premised on the arrogance of invincibility.
You see much the same in other global contexts: in wars of aggression, in strategic threats, and in the rampant monopolization by powerful corporate entities.
Yet, unfettered might does not establish right. It fosters instability, upheaval, and war.
History shows that rules and conventions to limit the influential also protect them. Absent these limits, their insatiable demands for increased control and resources in time lead to their downfall – along with their corporations, nations, or empires. And pave the way for global conflict.
This kind of lawlessness will haunt America and the global community – and indeed civilized conduct – for the foreseeable future.
