At the core of our fight to defend decency and democracy is the egoism of a few wealthy white men. Egoism is the morality that places self-interest at the center of everything. These men believe that so long as they are doing what is in their own best interest, then they are doing what is morally right even if it is illegal or detrimental to others. They see themselves as above man-made laws and they have no regard for the wellbeing of others if it conflicts with what feeds, serves, and pleasures them. They thrive on the exploitation of the defenseless, including the earth, animals, natural resources, and people. They believe they deserve placement above everything and everyone else.
I’m convinced that the mentality of humanity is partially to blame for their corrupt mindset. There has always been a part of the human psyche that recognizes, admires, fears, and gives deference to the strongest among us. Humans are often described as sheep in need of leadership. Perhaps the reasons are a combination of laziness or acknowledgment of our own shortcomings. Followers don’t have to think nor take personal responsibility when someone else is calling the shots. So, we have become a society that continually gives deferential treatment to others because of their wealth, celebrity, or position of power. We assume that they deserve to be above us and so we push them to “influence” us. This kind of treatment is dangerously intoxicating and corrupting to those on the receiving end of it.
Over time, this treatment supersizes egos and removes the capacity to empathize while raising the expectation of unfettered loyalty and compliance with their every demand. These egomaniacs, like Trump, begin to view themselves as inherently superior and rightfully deserving of deferential treatment. So, it only follows that they come to view any challenge to their actions as a threat to be tamed if not eliminated. In fact, much of this country was built on this slave-master mentality.
In MAGA we can clearly see how ordinary people have taken this human tendency toward leadership to a whole new level in the United States. They have placed Trump on a pedestal as if he were a “god” or at least God’s chosen one. Based on his wealth, celebrity, and power, they expect him to be stronger than us, smarter than us, and capable of benevolent leadership. Unfortunately for them, the Founders of our country knew that there was no such thing as a human embodiment of purely benevolent leadership, and they sought to create a government “by and for” the people. They started the Revolutionary War to achieve independence from the rulership of a king. The Founders explicitly created three co-equal branches of government to prevent another dictatorship. They understood that absolute power, corrupts absolutely. And yet, they could not foresee that when an egomaniac who is prone to acts of extortion and exploitation and is excused for his bad behavior throughout his entire life is elected president of the United States, the system of checks and balances would begin to collapse. They did not foresee this time of cowardice when the extort-able are extorted. The exploitable are exploited. And the excuse makers keep making their excuses.
This is where we find ourselves. We have a president who has exploited women, contractors, workers, consumers, the courts, the media, and banks for his selfish gain throughout his entire life. He dangles public humiliation, lawsuits, funding, pardons, mergers, and political ruin to extort others to either do his bidding or to silence his detractors. His list of victims grows before our eyes as lawmakers, judges, law firms, media outlets, universities, and others in positions of influence bow before him to either advance their own positions or protect themselves from his cult of loyal followers who believe he is a benevolent leader sent by God to “Make America Great Again”.
The question is whether it will last. Personally, I hope not. Besides being unconstitutional, there is nothing benevolent about Trump nor his intentions. And his leadership has always lacked competence, foresight, and integrity. His oversized ego has led him to behave in ways most decent human beings abhor. And yet, despite all the evidence, his followers excuse his poor behavior as either fake or as a sign of superhuman strength. They like him because he fuels their daydream of a return to a simpler time of white superiority, male domination and prosperity at the expense of women, black and brown people.
I’m hopeful that enough people will finally realize how rotten to the core he is and how his actions are now and have always been immoral. It’s beginning to look like MAGA are having a difficult time squaring pedophilia with benevolent leadership. The cognitive dissonance among his supporters is starting to show. They demanded to see the Epstein Files when they thought it would discredit liberals, but now they dread being confronted by Trump’s involvement with Epstein and the tales of the young women who implicate him. Perhaps the Epstein Files and the testimonies of his young female victims will finally disrupt MAGA loyalty to Trump. I certainly hope so because nothing else has.
The reality is that this country faces a less prosperous future for our children and grandchildren if the Constitution crumbles under the weight of one man’s ego and continued cowardice. So, unless we wake up soon and find a way to stop him, our Constitution, the rule of law and common decency will crumble.