An excursion/war from the self-declared Peace President is consistent with his administration’s whacky foreign (and domestic) Policy for Belligerent Dummies.
Here’s a quote from Stephen Miller (no relation!) a few weeks ago, foreshadowing our involvement in Venezuela and Iran, and potential future military steps toward Cuba, and — one fears — Greenland or Mexico: “We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of time.”
No, you creep. That’s not how this works, that’s not how any of this works. Cooperative, peaceful, equitable societies with governments, however constituted, that invest in their laws and institutions as well as in their people (and don’t kidnap, deport, or shoot them), have greater staying power. Countries that are able to make fair, lasting diplomatic and trade deals with neighbors near and far while engaged in the business of taking care of their citizens — rich, poor, able or disabled, young, old, and everything in-between — these are the safest, happiest and most stable nations.
Maybe the Scandinavian model has got it right, providing universal healthcare while codifying the essential values of egalitarianism and secularism? Y’think? These countries also place much higher taxes on their wealthiest citizens, who benefit most from the financial and political stability and regulatory safeguards of the state, whatever they claim to the contrary, including being able to hire healthy, educated, well-housed workers.
Finland is dark for half the year (darker even than Upstate New York), but the Finns consistently rank among the happiest people of all nations, along with their neighbors in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and The Netherlands. Where does the U.S. rank on the happiness index? In 2026, we rank 23rd, slightly up from 2025, which was our lowest standing to date (24th), yet still lower than Costa Rica, Mexico and Canada where — it must be repeated until it gets through — they also have universal healthcare.
Imagine if you will the vast benefit to an entire society when all persons living therein have access to health care, to educational opportunities, clean air and water, affordable housing and safe, updated infrastructure like good roads and bridges, but also wireless broadband, geothermal heating and cooling, and all other innovative mod cons, regardless of zip code. Imagine, too, an immigration system that works, a less torturous path to U.S. citizenship for immigrants and refugees seeking asylum, and DACA recipients finally made full-citizens.
Stress and uncertainty — a lack of stability in both the personal and political spheres — devour time and energy that would be better spent on family, work, studying or creative entrepreneurship. The anxiety of not knowing where or whether your spouse, employee or neighbor has been seized by ICE, or feeling unsafe in your hometown unless you carry citizenship papers everywhere you go — all of this is antithetical to our values, and is undermining entire communities’ well-being. It’s also a clear example of bad governance. Ditto the stress of being unable to cover your health insurance premiums because tax breaks for billionaires was a policy priority for the GOP.
Governing by power and force alone is not governing at all, nor are demands backed by violence to effectuate regime change the same as diplomatic solutions or democratically elected leadership. True strength is shown by a willingness to compromise and sacrifice for the common good, whether that commonality exists within a family, village, county, nation, or hemisphere.
When respect goes in all ways and all directions, our lives are safer and better, and we’re much less easily poisoned by the maggots of envy, resentment, fear or rage, otherwise known as racism, sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia.
Working toward consensus and consent in all things is hard, continual work, like marriage or farming, but it’s good, important work like those, too. It’s called The Social Contract, a contract that includes consenting to be governed by laws, respecting the results of elections and other people’s beliefs, religious views and bodily autonomy while understanding the importance of taxation and representation.
Y’all might consider renewing your commitment to America’s social contract as we prepare to celebrate our 250th anniversary this July.
We’re currently being mis-governed by a dangerously combustible combination of short-term thinking, amateurism and arrogance. Power and force aren’t ever enough. Bellicose militant and nationalist empires (Mussolini, Hitler, Hirohito, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, etc.) inevitably crash and burn after a burst of overinflated triumphs that also inevitably lead to historic levels of violence, corruption and eventual defeat. Those governments ended in flames, disgrace, annihilation, suicide or all of the above. Truly strong governance requires playing a long, slow game, but life itself is a long game (hopefully) as is much of what gives life meaning.