Would you rather fiddle while Rome burns, or head for the water pump?

If this is the new new normal, civilisation is heading for a nosedive...

My last post concerned the guilt of Republican politicians relating to their refusal to condemn President Trump's blatant racism and other disreputable acts. The problem, however, does not stop there. The danger is that the conduct of Trump and his entourage could become the new normal. Indeed, the political world is full of examples of oppressive and unprincipled leaders, but to have the United States join that clique is a serious blow to decency, human rights and environmental accountability. 

Rightly or wrongly, the US has generally been considered a beacon radiating the values of tolerance, magnanimity and progressiveness. True, much hypocrisy went into the making of that impression, but it served an important purpose nonetheless. With the US now openly flouting and deriding these principles, toxic self interest around the political world will be emboldened. Recently, Iran mocked Trump's "genocidal threats", but we may not know, until it is too late, what dangerous consequences such reckless behaviours could have.

Doing nothing is doing something...

Progress is fragile; as is morality. A Christian mystic once said that we must do what we believe is right, before we start believing right, whatever it is we do. With the rotten examples prominent people like Trump and Putin are presenting, the culture of disrespect and bulling will only increase. We must not take civilisation for granted. If we do we will be sleepwalking into another dark age. Doing nothing is doing something... and that something is bad.

UN-aligned is working for a fairer world. Joining us is one way of ensuring that you are not just a spectator to the disastrous events of recent years. As Ken Saro-Wiwa pointed out: silence would be treason!