Today's MOZEN: The Arc of Moral Justice

 

F LoBuono

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong . . . 

is a seminal verse from Buffalo Springfield's classic "For What It's Worth." Written at a time when the dispute over the Vietnam War was ripping the Country apart, it's a plea for at least some type of unity.

We could sure use a little of that today.

However, I take issue with that as a blanket statement - because, sometimes, things are just plain wrong!

Let's take the latest outrage; the storming of the US Capitol by rabid Trump supporters. They, and those who supported them even if they did not take part, claim that they acted in such a violent manner because they were just exercising their patriotic duty as Americans. They were going to right a terrible wrong done to their candidate, Donald Trump. This was executed despite the fact that there is absolutely NO creditable evidence that Mr. Trump was actually cheated out of an election victory. And, the sad part is that most actually believed that they were acting as true patriots. 

The problem is they ARE wrong. There is no grey area here.

Aaron Burr thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Benedict Arnold thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Robert E. Lee thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

John Wilkes Booth thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Joseph Goebbels thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Lee Harvey Oswald thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

James Earl Ray thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Timothy McVeigh thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

And, the list goes on . . .

All of these figures felt that they were doing the right things for the right reasons and acting in the best interests of the Country. And, with the benefit of hindsight, we realize just how misguided they were.

All of them have been found to be on the wrong side of history.

Despite their patriotic zeal, the same will be said of those who continue to support the failed administration of Donald J. Trump.

So, who is to actually say who is right and who is wrong?

Well, generally speaking, the side who WINS does.

And, why is this the case? Because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. To reduce that to its most simple terms, we could say that if there is true, moral goodness in a cause, it may take its lumps, but in the end that cause will triumph.

It always has. And, it always will.

The same will be said of Mr. Trump and ALL of his supporters because their so-called patriotism is based on ALL of the wrong things: greed, fear, loathing, mendacity, and hate. These traits will NEVER succeed in the end. They may have their moments (as is the case now), but the arc of the universe will return to justice - as it always has.