In a review of the book “Peak Human” by Johan Norberg in The Economist magazine (May 3) the characteristics held in common by the greatest civilizations of the past 3,000 years are addressed. Common factors were fair treatment of the citizenry, progressive international commerce and cultural interaction, respect for the rule of law, promotion of the arts, and support for inventiveness.
Such an analysis leads to a comparison with the transformation being imposed upon the United States today under the Trump administration.
Policies that contrast with those of the great civilizations include promotion of a white male, evangelical Christian-dominated culture, defiance of the rule of law, withdrawal from international cooperation treaties, dismantling security networks with friendly nations, disregard of fact-based existential climate change, demands that undermine academic independence, elimination of government support of scientific research, curtailment of social programs that help the citizenry meet basic needs, and absence of humanity in immigration control programs.
In the international scene, America uses its economic strength as a cudgel in the conduct of foreign trade.
This occurs while the personal wealth and creature comforts of the president and family members are enhanced. The byword in the expansion and exercise of political power is arrogance as subjects are directed to accommodate edicts from on high, with retribution being the consequence of active resistance.
All this begs the question whether America is truly being made great by these shifts in the nation’s values and traditions. It’s too early to put that query into historical perspective, but I fear that America will be described as having been led into negative territory by an erratic wealthy egotist backed by a clutch of sinister Rasputin-like advisors and supported by a mass of misguided stalwarts.
Clayton Parr, Draper
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