Trump's Actions Pose a Risk to Civilized Society.
His internal and external initiatives – ranging from the attempted coup previously to current moves and warnings – undermine both national and global jurisprudence. But that’s not all.
These actions endanger the very concept of civilization itself.
The guiding principle of a functioning society is to prevent the dominant from preying upon and using the vulnerable. Otherwise, we could find ourselves trapped in a state of nature where might makes right prevails.
This principle is central of the Declaration and Constitution. This is also the core of the global system established after WWII supported by the United States, which stresses collective action, democracy, individual liberties, and the rule of law.
Yet, it is a fragile construct, easily violated by those who choose to misuse their influence. Upholding it requires that the those in charge have a sense of duty to refrain from seeking short-term wins, and that the rest of us hold them accountable when they fail.
Unchecked strength does not equal right. It results in uncertainty, disruption, and hostilities.
Every time people or corporations or countries that are wealthier and stronger attack and exploit those that are not, the fabric of our shared norms weakens. If these actions are allowed to continue, the structure collapses. Allowing it to persist, the world can plunge into chaos and war. We have seen this pattern previously.
Our current reality is a global community marked by extreme inequality. Political and economic power are held by fewer hands than ever before. This invites the powerful to take advantage of the weaker because they feel omnipotent.
The wealth of certain tycoons is staggering. The reach of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace extends over numerous countries. Advanced technology is likely to further concentrate economic and political clout even more. The military might of the world's largest nations is without parallel in recorded history.
Supported by political allies and a sympathetic supreme court, the executive office has been turned into the supreme and answerable-to-none agent of the state in recent memory.
Consider this confluence and you grasp the threat.
An unbroken thread ties past lawless actions to current provocations. These were premised on the overconfidence of invincibility.
One observes much the same in the actions of other powers: in military conflicts, in expansive ambitions, and in the rampant monopolization by massive conglomerates.
Yet, strength without restraint does not create right. It produces uncertainty, upended order, and bloodshed.
The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to constrain the powerful also shield them. Without such constraints, their relentless pursuit for greater influence and riches eventually lead to their downfall – taking down their corporations, nations, or empires. And pave the way for global conflict.
This blatant lawlessness will cast a long shadow over the nation and the world – and indeed civilization – for years to come.
