Donald Trump's Actions Pose a Danger to Civilization.
His internal and external initiatives – ranging from the effort to overturn the election five years ago to recent incursions and warnings – weaken not only domestic and international law. The implications are broader.
They endanger the core idea of civilization itself.
The ethical foundation of civilized society is to prevent the stronger from attacking and exploiting the vulnerable. Failing that, we could find ourselves permanently immersed in a conflict of all against all where survival of the strongest prevails.
This concept is central of the nation's founding texts. It’s also the foundation of the global system established after WWII championed by the US, emphasizing multilateralism, popular sovereignty, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
But, it is a delicate construct, easily violated by those who choose to misuse their influence. Upholding it necessitates that the influential have enough integrity to avoid seeking immediate gains, and that the rest of us ensure they answer for their actions when they fail.
Unfettered might is not right. It leads to turmoil, chaos, and war.
Every time people or corporations or countries that are wealthier and stronger attack and exploit those that are weaker, the structure of society weakens. If these actions are left unchecked, the fabric unravels. Allowing it to persist, the world can fall into chaos and war. History provides ample precedent.
Our current reality is a society and world marked by extreme inequality. Authority and resources are held by fewer hands than ever before. This encourages the elite to take advantage of the disadvantaged because they feel omnipotent.
The resources of a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals is almost beyond comprehension. The power of global industrial giants covers much of the globe. Advanced technology is could consolidate wealth and power to a greater degree. The destructive power of the leading countries is without parallel in the annals of time.
Empowered by complicit legislators and an accommodating high court, the highest office has been made into the supreme and answerable-to-none entity of the state in history.
Combine these factors and you perceive the looming crisis.
An unbroken thread links earlier lawless actions to current provocations. These were founded upon the arrogance of invincibility.
One observes parallel dynamics in other global contexts: in military conflicts, in coercive diplomacy, and in the rampant monopolization by industrial titans.
However, strength without restraint does not create right. It produces uncertainty, upended order, and war.
The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to limit the powerful also safeguard them. Without such constraints, their endless appetite for greater influence and riches eventually bring them down – and with them their enterprises, countries, or domains. And threaten world war.
This blatant lawlessness will plague America and the global community – and indeed a rules-based order – for years to come.
