Trump's Actions Constitute a Threat to Civilized Society.
The national and international policies – from the attempted coup previously to current moves and warnings – erode both domestic and international jurisprudence. But that’s not all.
These actions threaten the very concept of what we mean by.
The guiding principle of a functioning society is to stop the dominant from attacking and exploiting the less powerful. Without this, we risk being locked in a brutish war where survival of the strongest wins.
This concept is embedded of America’s founding documents. It is equally the core of the global system established after WWII supported by the US, which stresses international cooperation, democracy, individual liberties, and the supremacy of law.
Yet, it is a fragile principle, easily violated by those who seek to abuse their authority. Maintaining it necessitates that the those in charge have the moral fortitude to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that society ensure they answer for their actions if they don't.
Unfettered might is not right. It makes for instability, upheaval, and war.
Whenever people or corporations or countries that are advantaged attack and exploit those that are less so, the framework of society weakens. Should such behavior are left unchecked, the structure collapses. If not stopped, the world can plunge into instability and violence. History provides ample precedent.
Today, we live in a international landscape with deepening divides. Authority and resources are increasingly centralized than ever before. This creates conditions for the powerful to take advantage of the weaker because they perceive themselves as omnipotent.
The resources of certain billionaires is staggering. The reach of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors covers a vast portion of the world. AI is could further concentrate resources and influence further. The military might of the leading countries is without parallel in the annals of time.
Empowered by complicit legislators and a pliant supreme court, the presidency has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked instrument of government in recent memory.
Put it all together and you see the danger.
A direct line connects past lawless actions to current threats. Each were based on the overconfidence of invincibility.
There is parallel dynamics in international affairs: in military conflicts, in strategic threats, and in the rampant monopolization by industrial titans.
But, strength without restraint does not create right. It produces instability, revolution, and war.
The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to check the powerful also safeguard them. Without such constraints, their relentless pursuit for more power and wealth in time bring them down – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And risk global conflict.
This blatant contempt for legal order will haunt America and the global community – and the very idea of a rules-based order – for a long time.
