Trump's Policies Present a Danger to Civilized Society.
His internal and external initiatives – ranging from the attempted coup in the past to latest incursions and statements – undermine not only domestic and international legal frameworks. However, the issue goes deeper.
They threaten the core idea of a civilized world.
The guiding principle of civilized society is to prevent the more powerful from harming and taking advantage of the weaker. Failing that, we risk being locked in a state of nature where only the fittest prevails.
This ideal is embedded of the nation's founding texts. It’s also the foundation of the modern framework of international relations advocated by the United States, built on multilateralism, democratic governance, fundamental freedoms, and the supremacy of law.
Yet, it is a delicate construct, easily violated by those who choose to misuse their power. Maintaining it requires that the influential have the moral fortitude to refrain from seeking immediate gains, and that the rest of us demand responsibility should they falter.
Unchecked strength does not make right. It leads to turmoil, upheaval, and hostilities.
Each instance individuals, companies, or nations that are wealthier and stronger target and use those that are less so, the structure of our shared norms frays. If these actions are allowed to continue, the system fails. Without intervention, the world can fall into disorder and conflict. We have seen this pattern previously.
Today, we live in a society and world marked by extreme inequality. Authority and resources are more concentrated than ever before. This encourages the privileged to leverage their position against the weaker because they act with a sense of untouchable.
The fortunes of certain ultra-wealthy individuals is difficult to fathom. The reach of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace spans a vast portion of the world. Artificial intelligence is poised to consolidate resources and influence further. The offensive capability of the world's largest nations is without parallel in recorded history.
Supported by political allies and a pliant high court, the presidency has been transformed into the most dominant and unchecked instrument of the state in the modern era.
Combine these factors and you see the looming crisis.
A direct line links past breaches of norms to current threats. Both were based on the arrogance of invincibility.
One observes parallel dynamics in international affairs: in wars of aggression, in expansive ambitions, and in the rampant monopolization by industrial titans.
Yet, strength without restraint does not establish right. It fosters fragility, upheaval, and armed conflict.
The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to check the powerful also safeguard them. Absent these limits, their relentless pursuit for greater influence and riches ultimately cause their collapse – taking down their corporations, nations, or empires. And threaten international catastrophe.
This kind of lawlessness will haunt America and the global community – and the very idea of civilization – for the foreseeable future.