Donald Trump's Approach Constitute a Danger to Civilization.
His internal and external strategies – from the attempted coup in the past to current moves and statements – weaken both national and global law. But that’s not all.
They endanger the fundamental meaning of civilization itself.
The moral purpose of civilized society is to stop the stronger from attacking and exploiting the weaker. Without this, we could find ourselves trapped in a brutish war where only the fittest prevails.
This principle is central of the Declaration and Constitution. It’s also the foundation of the postwar international order advocated by the America, built on multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the legal authority.
Yet, it is a delicate ideal, easily violated by those who seek to abuse their authority. Upholding it necessitates that the those in charge have a sense of duty to avoid seeking short-term wins, and that the public hold them accountable when they fail.
Unfettered might is not right. It makes for uncertainty, chaos, and war.
Each instance people or corporations or countries that are advantaged prey upon those that are less so, the fabric of our shared norms weakens. If these actions are left unchecked, the fabric unravels. If not stopped, the world can descend into disorder and conflict. History provides ample precedent.
Today, we live in a global community marked by extreme inequality. Influence and wealth are increasingly centralized than ever before. This creates conditions for the elite to exploit the weaker because they act with a sense of untouchable.
The fortunes of a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals is staggering. The power of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace extends over a vast portion of the world. AI is could further concentrate resources and influence even more. The military might of the leading countries is without parallel in human history.
Enabled by political allies and a pliant judicial body, the presidency has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked instrument of government in recent memory.
Put it all together and you perceive the looming crisis.
An unbroken thread links earlier breaches of norms to ongoing threats. These were founded upon the hubris of invincibility.
One observes much the same in international affairs: in military conflicts, in strategic threats, and in the worldwide exploitation by powerful corporate entities.
But, strength without restraint does not make right. It makes for instability, revolution, and armed conflict.
Historical evidence demonstrates that frameworks designed to constrain the powerful also protect them. If these guardrails are removed, their endless appetite for more power and wealth in time cause their collapse – and with them their enterprises, countries, or domains. And threaten international catastrophe.
Such lawlessness will cast a long shadow over the nation and the world – and the very idea of civilized conduct – for the foreseeable future.
