The Trump regime is evil: here are five reasons why and one reason for hope

That Donald Trump is a thoroughly repulsive individual, and politician is a given for me.  I’ll not detain you with discussion of his basic ignorance and malignant narcissism, his wanton cruelty and abusiveness, his racism and crude misogyny, his criminality nor his lack of even the most basic human compassion.  

By now all of you will have made up your own mind on the increasingly deranged Trump.  He may, or may not be inherently evil, that’s for you to decide for yourself. I am more concerned about the movement, the ideology, the actions and behaviours and, most of all, the policies of the regime of which Trump is the figurehead and chief shareholder.  

I am particularly exercised by their impact on entirely innocent people, our increasingly vulnerable planet and on democracy more broadly.  While there is no one universal definition of evil, each of us has a basic understanding of the difference between immoral and deeply or profoundly immoral.  

Dictionaries provide us with various working definitions of the evil underpinning such immorality.  Morally reprehensible, sinful and fundamentally wicked are just just some of the keywords referenced.

But to understand the evil taxonomy of the Trump regime (it goes without saying that there are many other such regimes worldwide), we need more than a shorthand definition.

For me, there are at least 5 compelling reasons why this movement and this regime are, by commonly understood and accepted philosophical, ethical, legal and historical criteria, intrinsically evil.

The first reason is patently obvious for all to see (and hear).  It is the wanton and callous disregard for the lives, basic rights and well-being of others and the planet across the regime’s agendas.  Not a hint of concern, compassion or regret for the many thousands killed directly or indirectly by the regime or its ally Israel in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and elsewhere.  

In fact the opposite is apparent – conscious and malicious celebration of the scale and intensity of such killings.  The sentiments, the emotions, the political and cultural equations chanted by this regime (officially and unofficially) demonstrate this graphically.  

Many of its cheerleaders assert joy and pleasure in the killing, elevating it to a defining characteristic of being American and even Christian.  Killing these people, devastating their lands and desecrating their environments presented as an historic, God ordained duty.  For me, this is clearly evil.

Secondly, the regime (and the movement behind it) is suffused with individual, collective and systemic criminality.  That criminality is blatantly obvious in the corrupt deals, the direct conflicts of interest and the sheer scale of the theft of public resources for the private benefit of regime members and their (rich) supporters.

However, of deeper concern is the widespread usurpation of state institutions and structures in support of the regime’s Maga ideology.   Public health, education, law, the judiciary, police and military, federal and state administration, social welfare and aid programmes have been decapitated to advance the Maga ideology.  The institutions and practices intended to serve the public good have instead been stolen and put to work for nefarious agendas. Again, for me this is evil.

Thirdly, the regime, its representatives, its spokespeople and its supporters have been given unrestricted licence to espouse, promote and celebrate aggression, bigotry, hatred and racism directed at named (and labelled) groups and communities.  

Just some of those targeted by the regime include Somalis, Mexicans, Haitians, Palestinians, Iranians and inevitably broad gay and trans groups.  The regime makes no attempt whatsoever to mask its promotion of division and hate (and additionally seeks to internationalise it) without a moments consideration as to how that messaging is received.  Or subsequently acted upon.Again, an evil agenda

Fourth. The regime, its key protagonists, spokespeople and supporters dismiss any concern for the committing of war crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, assassinations, torture, deliberate targeting of civilians, schools, hospitals, social infrastructure – the list of extensive and growing.  It views itself and its agenda as above morality, accountability and law.  It does not require an advanced moral compass to recognise this as evil.

Finally and perhaps most controversially of all, this regime is evil because of its current and potential future impact.  

No visible concern for the future of the planet other than as a resource to be plundered (for private gain).  No visible concern for the future lives and well-being of children across Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, across the Middle East and beyond.  No concern for the future consequences of their attacks on democracy, human rights and human security in the US itself, in the Americas, in Asia, Africa and Europe.

No concern for its effective support to tyrants, autocrats, militarists and besuited funders.  No concern for the consequences of its ever-increasing concentration of power and wealth and its implications for democracy.  No concern for anything but itself, its agenda and its ideology.  No concern for its moral nihilism and disengagement.

Not simply a current evil but also a potential future one.For those of us who live in Europe, there is a deeply disturbing associated element to this reality.   From the outset, many of our leaders have sought to excuse, accommodate, nuance and appease this agenda.  Eschewing historical lessons, with few exceptions, they continue to prevaricate, look away and refuse to effectively name and confront the evil before us.   

But there is a telling and positive conclusion to a reflection (and a moment) such as this.  If we individually and collectively think about what it is we abhor and reject in the Maga ideology and agenda, we are, by definition in the process of clarifying for ourselves what is important and valued.  In rejecting Maga-ism and all it represents; we are building an alternative and infinitely more positive agenda for now and for the future.