We must fight powerful bullies, whether they are Putin, Trump, or tech billionaires

Throughout history, the central struggle of civilisation has been against brutality by the powerful. Civil society doesn’t let might make right, writes Robert Reich

‘Putin must be stopped. Trump must be held accountable. Right-wing politicians who encourage white Christian nationalism must be condemned and voted out of office.’

I keep running into people who feel overwhelmed by so many seemingly unrelated but terrifying things occurring all at once. “How can all this be happening?” they ask.

But these things are connected. They are reinforcing each other. As such, they pose a clear challenge to a decent society. Putin invades Ukraine. Trump refuses to concede and promotes his big lie. Right-wing politicians in America and Europe inflame white Christian nationalism. Television pundits spur bigotry toward immigrants. Politicians target LGBTQ+ youth.