"Trump's domestic and foreign policies ranging from his attempted coup against the United States five years ago, to his incursion into Venezuela last weekend, to his current threats against Cuba, Colombia, and Greenland undermine domestic and international law. But that's not all. They threaten what we mean by civilization. The moral purpose of civilized society is to prevent the stronger from attacking and exploiting the weaker. Otherwise, we'd be permanently immersed in a brutish war in which only the fittest and most powerful could survive."
"This principle lies at the center of America's founding documents the Declaration of Independence, the constitution and the Bill of Rights. It's also the core of the postwar international order championed by the United States, including the UN charter emphasizing multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. But it's a fragile principle, easily violated by those who would exploit their power."
Trump's domestic and foreign actions, including an attempted coup five years ago, a recent incursion into Venezuela, and threats toward Cuba, Colombia, and Greenland, undermine domestic and international law. Those actions threaten civilization by eroding the moral purpose of preventing the strong from attacking the weak. The principle appears in America's founding documents and in the postwar international order centered on multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the UN charter. The principle is fragile and requires integrity from the powerful and accountability from others. Rising inequality and concentrated political and economic power invite exploitation, increasing instability and the risk of chaos and war.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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