In the summer of 1989, Francis Fukuyama presented his vision of the end of history, believing that liberal democratic capitalism represents the optimal social system. He claimed that the only path to progress is the gradual implementation of this order on a global scale.
However, this "end" lasted only three decades, and we find ourselves in a completely different context. Today, we observe the collapse of the liberal democratic capitalist order with its complex rules and human rights (such as freedom of speech and access to education), giving way to a brutal new world where the strong oppress the weak, and ideologies lose their significance, yielding only to economic, military, or political power.
In this context, U.S. President Donald Trump did not intervene in Venezuelan affairs to restore democracy. His actions were likely motivated by a desire to gain access to the country's vast oil and mineral reserves. Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated military actions against Ukraine, seeking to restore the former territorial integrity of "Greater Russia" before the Bolshevik Revolution and its variations thereafter.
Contemporary worldview: realism devoid of ideals.
According to this worldview, small countries must resign themselves to constant fear. If you manage to wield power, use it, but do not forget that principles no longer matter. In this new world, devoid of ideology, the masks of human rights and respect for the sovereignty of other countries have disappeared.
However, this is not the reality. The modern post-liberal world is permeated by ideology much more than the previous liberal democratic order.
Trump's ideology of "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) is a pure idea, even if it contradicts his actions. Steve Bannon, the chief ideologist of Trump's populism, calls himself a Leninist seeking to dismantle state structures. Nevertheless, under Trump, the U.S. state apparatus has become stronger and more influential, regularly violating laws and interfering in democratic processes and markets. For MAGA, "freedom of speech" is a privilege of the strong, allowing them to oppress the weak (including immigrants and minorities), rather than a means for the oppressed to be heard.
A similar situation is observed in Israel and Russia. For example, in Israel, Zionist fundamentalism uses the Old Testament to justify brutal actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Similarly, Putin legitimizes his power through Eurasian ideology, which opposes Western individualism and emphasizes traditional Christian values, demanding individuals sacrifice themselves for the state.
Alexander Kharichev, a leading ideologist of Putin, defined the main characteristics of Homo putinus, asserting that "for us, life matters less than for a Western person. We are convinced that there are things more important than mere life. This is, in essence, the foundation of any faith."
In these examples, we are far from an objective perception of the world: the prevailing "realism" ignores the deep ideology necessary to maintain the status quo.
This tension is one of the key features of modernity: many states increasingly turn to criminal groups to maintain their power. Haiti, a country that has faced repression for over 200 years due to a successful revolution led by former slaves, is a vivid example of a "failed state," where gangs control 80% of the territory. Similar processes are observed in Ecuador, where gangs openly seize urban territories, as well as in some regions of Mexico, fully controlled by drug cartels.
It is also worth mentioning the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran's moral politics, which operate as ideological police, sometimes putting the government in a difficult position. Recall the case of Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested for wearing her hijab incorrectly. Furthermore, the Wagner Group, used by the Russian government to maintain plausible deniability for military actions abroad, ultimately turned against Putin's regime.
A striking example is the Israeli settlers who openly commit acts of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. These settlers act independently, committing crimes ranging from arson to murder. The Israel Defense Forces merely observe, intervening only in cases of resistance from Palestinians. The criminal gang receives support from the state, which seeks to maintain the appearance of plausible deniability.
And, of course, Trump. He was the instigator of a rebellion against constitutional authority in the U.S., and now he is conducting internal colonization, directing the armed forces of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into Democrat-run cities to intimidate local residents. ICE has increased its numbers by 120% since Trump's return to the White House, hiring 12,000 new agents and officers as part of a campaign against white nationalists, arming them after 47 days of training. In masks, they act like Trump's settlers in the West Bank, invading people's homes without search warrants. One Mexican priest in Minneapolis called ICE a worse organization than the cartels in his country.
However, there is one important distinction: unlike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Putin, Trump does not distance himself from his criminal group. He is their direct commander, ordering them to ignore democratic institutions and the demands of local authorities.
Thus, acting as the head of the executive branch, Trump simultaneously enforces U.S. laws and leads a criminal group. This echoes G. K. Chesterton's thought that "Christianity is the only religion on earth that believes omnipotence makes God incomplete. Only Christianity believes that to be fully God, He must be not only a king but also a rebel." Ironically, one could say that Trump is trying to fulfill the role of the Christian god: de facto king of the U.S., governing the country mainly through decrees while simultaneously being a rebel against the state.
Trump's recent actions highlight this paradox. He filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, demanding $10 billion in compensation from the federal agency he himself controls. Claiming he was wronged, he will effectively decide how the matter will be settled and what the compensation amount will be.
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed doubts about this lawsuit, where Trump is both the plaintiff and the defendant. He acknowledged his "strange position" when he has to "make a deal — negotiate with himself." As Democratic Senator Adam Schiff noted: "He deserves credit for the audacity of this fraud. It's just brazen."
We have already seen something similar, not in real life, but in cinema: in Woody Allen's early masterpiece Bananas (1971). In one scene, the main character acts as his own lawyer and asks himself questions, aggressively shouting them into an empty hall, then, rushing to the stand, gives convoluted answers. Half a century later, reality has surpassed the joke.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2026. www.project-syndicate.org
Slavoj Žižek
The recording Trump as a symbol of rebellion: The destruction of the liberal democratic capitalist order first appeared on K-News.
