Trump administration isn’t nearly afraid enough
As I watched Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller announce the administration was ‘actively looking’ at suspending habeas corpus, I couldn’t help but think President Donald Trump and his gang of fascist criminals aren’t nearly afraid enough of the people they rule over. For those who don’t know, habeas corpus is a legal procedure by which unlawful detention and imprisonment can be challenged. It’s fundamental to a democratic society.
In recent years, I’ve grown increasingly interested in the religious left. It’s a tradition that is frequently pacifist. While I’ve become more skeptical about the need for violence to achieve political aims, I haven’t managed to say it’s never required. Perhaps this reflects a lack of imagination and commitment on my part. That said, I truly believe if the Trump administration thought they might suffer real consequences — legal or otherwise — they wouldn’t behave as they are.
‘Sic semper tyrannis’ is a Latin phrase which translates to ‘thus always to tyrants.’ It’s commonly understood to mean dictators will meet bad ends. For instance, the Virginia state flag features the phrase, along with imagery of the Roman goddess of virtue, spear in hand, standing over a slain ruler. The phrase has an unfortunate connection to the Confederate cause. Still, I think it provides a valuable warning to Trump, Miller and their authoritarian ilk.
The event which best illustrates the meaning of the phrase in modern times might be the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. I’m by no means an expert in foreign affairs, but my understanding of the circumstances are as follows. Accused of countless human-rights abuses during his decades-long rule, Gaddafi was captured by rebel forces, at which point he was beaten, tortured, and finally killed, before his body was paraded through the streets.
We shouldn’t wish such a fate on anyone. And yet, as Jesus said, those who live by the sword tend to die by the sword. Saint Paul makes a similar point, when he says a man reaps what we sows. This isn’t so different from the law of karma in Eastern religions. The Trump administration, in their authoritarianism, are living by the sword. Perhaps the president, at his advanced age, will escape earthly consequences, but many, like Miller, will not be so lucky.
I hope these consequences aren’t nearly as awful as those suffered by Gaddafi, however the American people can only be pushed so far, and the White House is testing those limits. I’m certain the political tide will eventually turn and the fascists running our government will face some kind of accountability. At the very least, many Trump administration officials need to be imprisoned to restore the rule of law. It’s a regrettable concession to a fallen world.
The anti-fascist coalition has a wide variety of policy goals. For instance, as an animal activist, I’d like to see a massive infusion in public funding into cultivated-meat research. The new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. I view the nascent technology as the most promising means of alleviating nonhuman suffering. However, none of our goals can be achieved under a right-wing authoritarian state, which, at this point, it’s clear Trump is trying to build.
As distasteful as the effort might be, in order to preserve democracy, we need to reestablish a healthy fear of the people amongst would-be tyrants. There are some government officials— and I believe a significant portion of the Trump White House falls into this category — who have so hardened their hearts to right and wrong, or to God, to use religious language, I don’t believe they’re susceptible to moral persuasion. Only fear of consequences will move them.