In a stark warning, former US Secretary of Labour Robert Reich has declared that the actions of Donald Trump pose a fundamental threat to the very concept of civilisation. Reich argues that Trump's domestic and foreign policies systematically undermine the core principle that protects the weak from the strong.
The Moral Foundation of a Civilised Society
Reich posits that the central moral purpose of any civilised society is to prevent the powerful from attacking and exploiting the vulnerable. Without this safeguard, he warns, society descends into a brutish state where only the fittest survive. This principle, he notes, is enshrined in America's founding documents—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
It also forms the bedrock of the post-war international order championed by the United States, including the UN charter, which emphasises multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. However, Reich stresses this principle is fragile and easily violated by those seeking to exploit their power for short-term gain.
A Pattern of Lawlessness and Hubris
Reich draws a direct line connecting a series of actions by Trump, framing them as manifestations of the same dangerous hubris. He cites the attempted coup against the United States government five years ago as a foundational event. This was followed more recently by what he describes as an incursion into Venezuela and current threats against Cuba, Colombia, and even Greenland.
These actions, Reich contends, are not merely breaches of domestic and international law. They represent a deeper assault on the constraints that prevent the powerful from acting with impunity. He argues that Trump, enabled by congressional Republicans and a pliant Supreme Court, has transformed the presidency into an historically unaccountable seat of power.
A World Ripe for Exploitation
The threat is magnified, Reich asserts, by a global context of extreme inequality and concentrated power. He points to the almost incomprehensible wealth of individuals like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, and the vast influence of big tech, big oil, and defence corporations.
Furthermore, the destructive capabilities of nations like the United States, China, and Russia are unmatched. In such an environment, the powerful feel omnipotent, inviting exploitation. Reich sees parallels in Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine, Xi Jinping's threats against Taiwan, and the global depredations of corporate monopolies.
"Every time people or corporations or countries that are richer and more powerful attack and exploit those that are not, the fabric of civilization frays," Reich writes. "If such aggression is not contained, the fabric unravels."
The Inevitable Downfall of Unfettered Power
Ultimately, Reich concludes that unfettered might does not make right, but instead leads to instability, upheaval, and war. History shows that laws and norms designed to constrain the powerful also protect them from their own insatiable appetites. Without these constraints, their relentless pursuit of more wealth and power eventually brings down their corporations, nations, or empires—and risks plunging the world into conflict.
Robert Reich's analysis serves as a sobering reminder that Trump's blatant lawlessness will have repercussions for America and the international community for years to come, challenging the civilised structures that have, however imperfectly, governed the post-war world.
