Trump divides and conquers; we must unite and build
By David Brooks / The New York Times
In the beginning there was agony. Under the empires of old, the strong did what they willed, and the weak suffered what they must.
But over the centuries, people built the sinews of civilization: constitutions to restrain power, international alliances to promote peace, legal systems to peacefully settle disputes, scientific institutions to cure disease, news outlets to advance public understanding, charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities to preserve, transmit and advance the glories of our way of life. These institutions make our lives sweet, loving and creative, rather than nasty, brutish and short.
Trumpism is threatening all of that. It is primarily about the acquisition of power; power for its own sake. It is a multifront assault to make the earth a playground for ruthless men, so of course any institutions that might restrain power must be weakened or destroyed. Trumpism is about ego, appetite and acquisitiveness and is driven by a primal aversion to the higher elements of the human spirit: learning, compassion, scientific wonder, the pursuit of justice.
So far, we have treated the various assaults of President Trump and the acolytes in his administration as a series of different attacks. In one lane they are going after law firms. In another they savaged the United States Agency for International Development. In another they’re attacking our universities. On yet another front they’re undermining NATO, and on another they’re upending global trade.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/brooks-trump-divides-and-conquers-we-must-unite-and-build/