Trump's Actions Pose a Risk to Civilization.
His domestic and foreign initiatives – ranging from the effort to overturn the election five years ago to latest actions and threats – undermine both national and global jurisprudence. However, the issue goes deeper.
They threaten the core idea of what we mean by.
A guiding principle of civilized society is to prevent the dominant from harming and taking advantage of the weaker. Failing that, we risk being locked in a brutish war where only the fittest wins.
This principle is central of the Declaration and Constitution. It is equally the core of the postwar international order championed by the United States, built on international cooperation, popular sovereignty, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
Yet, it is a vulnerable principle, often broken by those who seek to abuse their power. Upholding it necessitates that the influential have the moral fortitude to refrain from seeking immediate gains, and that society demand responsibility should they falter.
Unchecked strength is not right. It results in uncertainty, chaos, and hostilities.
Whenever entities that are wealthier and stronger attack and exploit those that are weaker, the framework of civilization frays. If these actions are left unchecked, the fabric unravels. Without intervention, the world can plunge into chaos and war. It has happened before.
Today, we live in a society and world marked by extreme inequality. Authority and resources are increasingly centralized than in recent memory. This encourages the elite to take advantage of the weaker because they feel omnipotent.
The resources of certain ultra-wealthy individuals is almost beyond comprehension. The reach of global industrial giants extends over numerous countries. AI is could centralize wealth and power further. The destructive power of the major powers is unprecedented in human history.
Supported by political allies and a pliant high court, the executive office has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked agent of state power in the modern era.
Combine these factors and you see the threat.
A clear connection links earlier lawless actions to ongoing menaces. Each were premised on the arrogance of invincibility.
One observes much the same in international affairs: in territorial invasions, in expansive ambitions, and in the global depredation by massive conglomerates.
Yet, raw power does not make right. It fosters uncertainty, upheaval, and war.
Historical evidence demonstrates that laws and norms to check the powerful also shield them. If these guardrails are removed, their relentless pursuit for more power and wealth eventually bring them down – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And threaten world war.
Such lawlessness will plague international stability – and indeed civilized conduct – for years to come.
