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Donald Trump is being sworn in as the United States\u2019 47th president, under the Capitol\u2019s Dome, where, four years ago, violent supporters of his had loitered for hours after storming the building. Trump not only avoided being held to account for instigating this uprising, but is now once again at the superpower\u2019s reins, in the mood for greater disruption and with fewer checks than he faced during his first presidency in 2016-20. Because the United States determines the world\u2019s economic and financial developments, never has there been such a moment when a nation\u2019s choice, the election of one man, could have such consequences for humanity.<\/p>\n
Trump is not just a person unsuited for governing, as his first presidency showed, or just one more \u201cilliberal\u201d leader in a world growing full of them. His election comes at a time when America wields disproportionately great power, and the world is in such a vulnerable state, that any wrong moves on his part could destabilize not only humanity but the planet itself. The climate crisis, the unpredictable future of the technological revolution, nuclear weapons, all demand the greatest possible consensus and unity. And yet, Trump and those around him brag about the division that they sow, about their plans to undo the efforts to limit the consequences of climate change, as they brazenly pursue their own narrow interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s return is dangerous not only because of some of the policies that he aims to implement, but because his country and the world are at a point where they lack credible safety valves. At home, Trump has undermined institutions, his political rivals are exhausted, the news media have lost credibility, and he has more allies than ever. Inequality breeds ever greater desperation, leading to more suppression and division. Abroad, he cultivates likeminded politicians to further a similar agenda. The European Union\u2019s nations lack conviction, their cohesion threatened, even as the autocrats who challenge it are encouraged by Trump\u2019s dogma of force, cynical self-interest, and boundless transactionalism.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was always humanity\u2019s natural state, but the last centuries showed the heights to which we can rise when we create social and international institutions which nurture the rule of law and cooperation. In the past, the damage that one person could cause would run out of steam at some point. Today, with everyone connected to everything, with our lack of faith in a religion or an ideology, people are more vulnerable, becoming either instruments of demagogues or victims.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as humankind needs humility, unity and justice to avoid further woes, we are witness to the triumph of arrogance and division. Without a code of values, we will find ourselves on an ever more difficult road, with no possibility of turning back.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n