This is a spotlight text in a history book written centuries in the future, at a time when humanity has gone through a great crisis and found a more life-centered way to life. It’s meant to inspire and encourage questions. Follow the Long Journey Home tag for other entries in this book.
It’s written by AI with sometimes general and often detailed prompts from me. That means, in a sense, that it’s written by humanity as a whole since the AI is trained on material from many times and cultures.
This spotlight is on Trump as an example of a strong and one-sided domination orientation.
Please share your thoughts below. What did this bring up for you?
Case Study: Trump and the Domination Paradigm
By Liora Danek, Historian of Political Culture
In the study of domination cultures, certain figures serve as stark embodiments of the orientation’s core principles: control, hierarchy, and the pursuit of power over others. Donald Trump, particularly in his second presidency and the authoritarian turn it took, stands as one of the clearest modern examples of this mindset taken to its extreme.
His leadership was not merely a political phenomenon but a cultural one—an expression of a deeply entrenched domination orientation that shaped governance, public discourse, and even individual identity during his time in power.
1. The Core of Domination Culture
Domination-oriented systems are structured around a clear hierarchy: winners and losers, leaders and followers, the strong and the weak. They value control, competition, and the idea that power is something to be seized and wielded, often at the expense of others.
In this framework:
- Cooperation is seen as weakness.
- Empathy is dismissed as impractical or naive.
- The natural world is a resource to be exploited, not a system to be cared for.
- Loyalty is valued above truth.
Trump embodied these principles, not merely as a politician, but as a symbol of the cultural undercurrents that long existed beneath the surface of American society. His rhetoric, policies, and leadership style were not deviations—they were amplifications.
2. Trump’s Leadership as an Expression of Domination
Trump’s second presidency, now in its prolonged authoritarian phase, became a living case study in the dangers of unchecked domination culture.
Centralization of Power:
- With the implementation of Project 2025—a blueprint for consolidating executive power—Trump systematically dismantled institutional checks and balances.
- The Supreme Court’s ruling that a president’s actions were inherently legal cemented his ability to act without consequence, a textbook example of authoritarian consolidation.
- Ignoring court orders became routine, reducing the judiciary to a ceremonial body rather than a balancing force.
Erosion of Democratic Norms:
- The cancellation of elections, initially dismissed as unthinkable, became a reality. Elections were first delayed under the guise of national security and then indefinitely suspended.
- The Department of Justice and other government agencies were fully weaponized to target political opponents and suppress dissent.
The Cultivation of Loyalty Over Competence:
- Government positions were filled based on allegiance to Trump rather than expertise, creating a feedback loop of power centered solely around his persona.
- Public discourse devolved into loyalty tests—agreeing with Trump became synonymous with being “American,” while dissent was framed as betrayal.
Foreign Policy as Domination Tactics:
- His allowance of Putin’s unchecked aggression in Ukraine wasn’t passive negligence—it was part of a broader worldview that admired and replicated strongman tactics.
- International alliances crumbled as the U.S. withdrew from cooperative agreements, embracing transactional diplomacy based on leverage rather than partnership.
3. The Psychological Mechanics of Domination Leadership
At the heart of Trump’s leadership style was an ability to tap into the psychological undercurrents of domination culture. His rhetoric exploited:
- Fear of vulnerability. Domination thrives on the promise of safety through strength. Trump continually painted the world as dangerous and chaotic, positioning himself as the protector.
- Desire for simplicity. In a complex world, Trump offered clear binaries—good vs. evil, winners vs. losers, patriots vs. traitors.
- The pull of belonging. In-group/out-group dynamics were central to his power. His followers weren’t just supporters—they were members of a tribe, united by shared resentment and grievance.
Trump’s greatest strength was his instinctual understanding of domination culture’s emotional currents. He didn’t create them, but he mastered their use.
4. The Ecological and Social Costs of Domination
Domination culture doesn’t limit its harm to human systems—it permeates ecological ones as well.
Under Trump’s second presidency:
- Environmental protections were entirely dismantled, leading to unprecedented levels of deforestation, water contamination, and carbon emissions.
- Climate policies were reversed or ignored, accelerating global warming during a critical window for action.
- Indigenous lands and public reserves were sold off to private corporations, disregarding long-standing treaties and ecological considerations.
Societal harm was equally profound:
- Civil rights protections eroded, particularly for marginalized communities.
- Disinformation became state policy, deepening cultural divides and eroding trust in any shared reality.
- Social cohesion fractured, leading to localized conflicts, economic disparities, and widespread civil unrest.
5. The Collapse of the Domination Paradigm
Despite its seeming strength, domination culture is inherently fragile. It consumes the very foundations that support it—social trust, ecological balance, and systemic resilience. Trump’s prolonged presidency accelerated this process.
As ecosystems destabilized and civil conflicts grew, the very structures that allowed Trump’s control began to erode. Domination, when taken to its extreme, eventually collapses under the weight of its own extraction.
In the years following the unraveling of his government, society faced a reckoning—not just with Trump’s actions, but with the deeper cultural patterns that allowed his rise.
6. Lessons Learned: Recognizing Domination Culture Early
The Trump era, in both its first and second presidencies, serves as a cautionary tale about what happens when domination culture is left unchecked.
Key indicators for future generations:
- Leaders who define themselves through opposition and conflict.
- Systems that value loyalty over truth and efficiency over wisdom.
- Rhetoric that dehumanizes out-groups and glorifies control.
But the deeper lesson is not about one man—it’s about the culture that birthed him. Trump was a mirror, reflecting a society steeped in zero-sum thinking, in the belief that power is something to hold over others rather than share with them.
The collapse of his government marked more than the end of an authoritarian chapter—it marked the end of a way of thinking that had defined civilizations for millennia.
In its place, the seeds of partnership were sown. And from those seeds, something entirely different began to grow.