Trump’s Reckless Rejection Of The Common Good Puts The World At Risk

Last updated on: June 12, 2018 at 6:32 am by Henry Karlson

Trump’s Reckless Rejection Of The Common Good Puts The World At Risk 2018-06-12T06:32:37-05:00 Henry Karlson

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He who despises his neighbor is a sinner, but happy is he who is kind to the poor (Prov. 14:21 RSV).

The United States has Mexico and Canada as its neighbors. Trump now adds disdain for Canada to his reckless hatred for Mexico. He despises them because they challenge him in his pride, in his avarice, indeed, in his desire for power. It is no wonder that even someone from Fox News could, in the heat of the moment, let it slip that Trump is a dictator. Trump views himself as being in charge so that he does not need to listen to anyone else and do what they tell him to do. This is highlighted in the way Trump suggests that he can pardon himself. Despite his claim, there is a limit to his power; one way or another, his time will come to an end, and his sinful abuses of others will find itself judged: “For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high” (Isa 2:12 RSV).

Until then, Trump is leading the breakup of the world order, destroying the common good for his own unseemly end. This can be seen in the way Trump has moved on to anger traditional allies of the United States through insults, temper tantrums and outrageous abusive behavior, as can be seen in the way he treated the various members at the G7 summit. He is more interested in propping up Russia than he is protecting the United States by keeping up to its responsibility towards its allies. The war of words with Canada is an utter embarrassment as the United States threatens the stability of its relationship with one of its most important and geographically closest allies. Russia, certainly, will benefit with the breakup, as the United States is shown incapable of keeping to its agreements: the United States will find itself isolated as Trump destroys the order which took a long time to build.

It is not just the traditional allies of the United States, but the people of the United States which will have to deal with his reckless policy decisions. People will suffer, indeed, die, because of his lack of concern for the common good. He has no care for the poor, the needy; he is all about removing all the protections which have been put in place to help the citizens of the United States for the sake of private industry. The Environmental Protection Agency, headed by Scott Pruitt, now rejects its own mission. As Esquire pointed out, Pruitt is selling out his agency for the sake of helping private industry. Trump’s own disdain for the EPA and its standards helps Pruitt, as can be seen in the way Trump once called asbestos poisoning a conspiracy created by the mob to make money on asbestos removal. For now the EPA will not evaluate the dangers of asbestos already found in buildings throughout the United States. The dangers of being in indirect contact with various dangerous chemicals, likewise, will no longer be evaluated by the EPA; their only concern, for now, is the harm of direct exposure to those chemicals. With no concern about environmental hazards and the harm being done to the people of the United States, it should not be surprising that Scott Pruitt has had his workers go on errands, such as getting food, or used Trump hotel mattresses instead of actually working on the issues the agency is supposed to investigate.

Despite the claims that Trump is pro-life, and following Christian principles, time and time again, his lack of concern for the common good demonstrates this is far from the case. He does not care about the way his policies will destroy lives, indeed, will likely lead to many unnecessary deaths of innocents. His healthcare policies demonstrate this. As has been a long noted part of Trump’s plan to change the health care system in the United States, Trump and his administration are giving support to insurance companies so that they can remove protections for those who have pre-existing conditions. This will remove coverage for many with life-threatening illnesses. Even Republican strategists see the harm in this change, thinking it will help boost the resistance to Trump and the GOP. Is it any surprise that if the citizens of the United States are so worthless to Trump, that the lives of others, those trying to flee to the United States, seeking asylum, are also seen as worthless and sent away to be harmed or killed (such as the woman who was once enslaved by Salvadorian guerrillas who was told that by her slavery she gave material support to terrorists and so was not welcomed in the United States)?

There is nothing Christian about the Trump Administration. We are to judge him by his fruit:

But if any one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him (1Jn. 3:17-19 RSV).

Following the principles of John, it is clear the love of truth, indeed, the love of God does not abide in Trump or his followers who approve of his evil.

[IMG=Working Session at G7 Summit in Canada 2018 by Shealah Craighead [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]

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