As Trump escalates, more and more Americans will face a test of patriotism. 

If Donald Trump is allowed to use Supreme Ruler-style extortion and fear as the primary tools of “leadership,” America may well become one of those “shithole” nations that he’s always loved to insult.

And, what stands in his way? It’s certainly not the waves of en masse American activists or the spineless legislators and governors they elected to represent their interests. Nor is it the ultimate power of the Supreme Court, which sold out years ago to the rich and the powerful and their conscienceless agendas, allowing mega-corporations to legally buy American elections, right down to the dog catcher in your town.

Trump likes to talk about our “enemies,” but his targets—the people who had the balls to oppose him and fight for our democracy—are not the threats. The enemy is not the Muslim who lives just around the corner and runs a little neighborhood grocery. It’s not the law offices who represented litigants against the Trump crime organization. It’s not the gay couple whose house was vandalized and whose Pride flag was thrown through the living room window. It’s not the young lady who, finding herself in a life-changing situation for which she was unready, sought to terminate the “life” of a clump of cells.

The enemy is one with whom we should all be well-acquainted—the one that Dwight Eisenhower, in his parting words to the American people, warned us about: the unholy alliance of government, the war industry and the powerful corporations that dominate the markets.

What Eisenhower feared is exactly what has happened, and we now have a country that has lost its soul, demonstrating with its perpetual calendar of destruction that any morality and decency has been replaced by the power of money and the promise of great wealth for a minority class of the super rich.

What has happened was no accident, and we now have a mobster-in-chief, raking in billions and ensuring his own power by assisting America’s giants of criminality in achieving their own selfish goals.

What does that mean? It means that the U.S. will stand with the other thugs of our world, using the suffering of millions for the enrichment of the uber-rich. One doesn’t need to be a mathematician to understand why the devastating human suffering of our world continues, and our country is just another one of the bad guys. It’s no surprise that CIVICUS—an international human rights watchdog—has recently added the U.S. to its list of the world’s worst human rights abusers.

In its pronouncement, CIVICUS interim co-secretary general Mandeep Tiwana stated that Trump’s "unprecedented executive orders designed to unravel democratic institutions, rule of law and global cooperation" have destroyed our country’s credibility as a leader of the free world. "This is an unparalleled attack on the rule of law in the United States,” Tiwana added, “not seen since the days of McCarthyism in the 20th century."

Shame!

The American government of today is merely a protection racket for people, companies and industries that rake in billions from the suffering of our world. I realize that sounds extreme, but the many examples stand as witnesses for the desecration of America’s ideals.

Now, the big question: Where are the country’s patriots who are going to rid us of the Godfather Mafioso President? A president who—between him and his sons—has raked in over a billion dollars a month since his inauguration. His disgusting sycophants and the tycoons who have hijacked our nation and turned it into their own money machine are the common “enemy.” But who will stand against their rape of our nation?

At some point, every American needs to do a personal assessment of their own commitment to the principles of our republic.

It doesn’t take a whole lot of introspection to understand that, if we haven’t been accosted, hooded, swept away in a black Suburban and flown to some remote holding facility—or been personally sued by your dear President—we’re probably really awful examples of Americans who love their country.

What we love is our families, our friends and our own lives. That makes it a pretty sure bet that we won’t stick our own necks out. It’s just Human Nature 101, and there’s not a person alive who, without a really remarkable commitment to principle, is going to put his resources and life on the line.

What if every other American had those same selfish, self-preserving priorities? Would there have been any America at all if its history wasn’t rife with real patriots who were willing to make a sacrifice for their country.

Worse than that, we’ve shown that we hold little value for the battle for human rights and decency. And at least in the matter of patriotism, we’d all have been just as useful had our embryos been used for scientific experiments.

Now, I realize that’s a pretty sincere indictment of the majority of U.S. citizens, who are ardent about reading the news and vocally commiserating with the atrocities that have become no more than an occasional “Oh, dear!” in our conscious moments. It isn't that we Americans don’t understand just how awful the Trump administration has acted toward immigrants, academics, human rights leaders and certain religions.

The terrible reality is that we all know what’s going on and we decry it—even the trembling, closeted Republicans who pay fearful lip service to Trump. But, like the others, we must understand that we are essentially cowards when it comes down to fighting for other human beings.

Somehow, Americans need to have their “come to Jesus” moment, and that means being willing to take risks in order to preserve the greatness of our country. If we’re not willing to attract the wrath of the dictator, we’re not the patriots that America needs.