Trump's Policies Present a Threat to Civilized Society.
The national and international initiatives – from the effort to overturn the election previously to recent moves and statements – weaken not only national and global jurisprudence. But that’s not all.
They threaten the fundamental meaning of civilization itself.
A guiding principle of any advanced culture is to forestall the stronger from preying upon and using the vulnerable. Failing that, we could find ourselves trapped in a conflict of all against all where might makes right wins.
This concept is embedded of the nation's founding texts. It’s also the core of the modern framework of international relations championed by the United States, emphasizing multilateralism, democracy, individual liberties, and the legal authority.
Yet, it is a fragile ideal, frequently ignored by those who choose to misuse their power. Upholding it necessitates that the influential have a sense of duty to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that society ensure they answer for their actions should they falter.
Absolute power does not make right. It makes for instability, disruption, and hostilities.
Whenever people or corporations or countries that are advantaged prey upon those that are less so, the fabric of society frays. If such aggression are not contained, the fabric unravels. Without intervention, the world can fall into disorder and conflict. We have seen this pattern previously.
We now inhabit a global community marked by extreme inequality. Influence and wealth are more concentrated than ever before. This creates conditions for the elite to leverage their position against the weaker because they perceive themselves as untouchable.
The wealth of a handful of tycoons is almost beyond comprehension. The reach of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors spans a vast portion of the world. Artificial intelligence is likely to centralize economic and political clout to a greater degree. The destructive power of the world's largest nations is unprecedented in human history.
Supported by complicit legislators and a pliant supreme court, the presidency has been transformed into the supreme and answerable-to-none entity of government in recent memory.
Combine these factors and you see the danger.
A clear connection ties previous transgressions to current provocations. Both were premised on the overconfidence of absolute power.
One observes a similar pattern in the actions of other powers: in territorial invasions, in coercive diplomacy, and in the worldwide exploitation by industrial titans.
But, raw power does not establish right. It makes for uncertainty, upheaval, and bloodshed.
History shows that rules and conventions to limit the influential also protect them. If these guardrails are removed, their relentless pursuit for more power and wealth in time lead to their downfall – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And pave the way for world war.
Such lawlessness will cast a long shadow over America and the global community – and indeed a rules-based order – for years to come.
