Intimidation, shaming, loyalty tests, threats, shakedowns, silencing, and punitive actions. These are the tactics of bullies, gangsters, mob bosses, and tyrants. They are widely accepted as unjust, immoral, and counterproductive to creating a safe and free culture that people desire to be a part of. When the systems and forces that protect the innocent are weakened and fail, do not be surprised when others side with a bully. Human instinct will almost always seek survival over persecution when forced to choose.

The unfolding strategy of the new United States Presidential regime is eerily reminiscent of tough-talking tyrants and authoritarians. While many praise Donald Trump’s tactics as intentionally disruptive, showmanship, or a business man who knows how to get stuff done, they are actually creating a grassroots culture of intimidation, chaos, and fear—just as they did in his first term of office between 2016 and 2020.

Hourly changes of threats of economic punishment and turmoil over tariffs on foreign trade, bullying a leader of a nation invaded by its neighbor, openly intimidating sovereign states and their leaders, and threats of violence against a stated enemy are not the leadership characteristics of a peaceable or emotionally stable human being. When an unpredictable and morally incoherent individual is in a position of authority, it puts everyone on edge and submissive to their will. Anyone who has grown up in a dysfunctional household with an abusive adult will know this feeling all too well. 

When an unpredictable and morally incoherent individual is in a position of authority, it puts everyone on edge and submissive to their will.

Just as we believe that no child or young adult should live under the care of a verbally or physically abusive adult, neither should a free and equitable society. A life marked by anxiety, confusion, fear, and repression is well studied. The psychological impacts are detrimental to the health and well-being of the innocent and their future. Like children with an abusive guardian, a society connected to the hourly emotional swings of an unstable leader is undergoing a traumatic “childhood” of its own.

Our social well-being and future are clearly at stake. Until the public recognizes its collective suffering and the distorted worldview we’re being subjected to, we’ll continue to live under abusive conditions before seeking help. Power has a way of silencing and projecting its own truths against the innocent and honest.

Collective courage and resolve that seeks a more inclusive, holistic, and equitable future will be needed more than ever in the years to come.

Providentially, we’re not alone. The wisdom, reflective insights, and courage of others are all around us. Our family, friends, neighbors, and pluralistic leaders are here waiting to help those who can’t yet see it. As advocates of hope and change, we too must be ready and willing to compassionately stand by, factually inform, and provide solutions that offer trusted alternatives. Collective courage and resolve that seeks a more inclusive, holistic, and equitable future will be needed more than ever in the years to come.

Americans and freedom-loving people around the world expect more from the leadership that has promoted liberty and democracy for generations. Thankfully, a new generation of diverse leaders is being forged in these times. Hope and change for a better tomorrow is not yet out of our grasp.