Citizen Ben Op Ed
Ben Cable (Cross-Posted on Substack)
Apr 23, 2026
Let’s be clear about one thing up front:
I am not anti-Trump. I am sure there are many good people with the name Trump. I just do not believe that President Donald J. Trump is one of them.
Right now, the problem isn’t partisan. It’s moral gravity itself being pulled out of orbit.
There’s something deeply upside-down about a moment in American history when a Vice President tells the Pope to stay in his lane… while a President flirts with war, territorial ambition, and apocalyptic rhetoric.
“Be Careful with Theology,” Said the Politician to the Pope
Vice President JD Vance suggested that Pope Leo XIV should be “careful” when speaking about theology and war.
Yes, really.
Vance criticized the Pope amid the escalating Iran conflict, arguing the Vatican should stick to “morality,” while challenging the Pope’s stance on war.
That would be laughable—if it weren’t so revealing.
Because here’s the problem: war is a moral issue.
Always has been. Always will be.
The Catholic Church’s just-war doctrine—developed over centuries—requires strict conditions: last resort, proportionality, and protection of civilians.
And yet, while theologians are being told to sit down, politicians are redefining morality on the fly.
From Gaza to Iran: When War Becomes Language
This isn’t happening in a vacuum.
- In Gaza, Vance has been a staunch supporter of Israel’s war effort, arguing it should “finish the job” quickly.
- In Iran, the U.S.-backed conflict has already caused thousands of deaths and mass displacement.
- And when the Pope condemned threats against entire populations as “truly unacceptable,” it was in response to rhetoric that included wiping out a civilization.
Let that sink in.
A Pope warning about the destruction of civilians…
and a President defending the threat.
That’s not politics. That’s a moral rupture.
The Expansionist Whisper: Greenland, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, Cuba
Meanwhile, something else is creeping into the conversation—something older, darker, and very familiar.
A kind of 21st-century manifest destiny:
- Greenland is discussed as a strategic acquisition
- Venezuela framed through an interventionist policy
- Canada and even Cuba floated in nationalist rhetoric and imagery
Even symbolic messaging—maps, memes, flags—has suggested a vision of American expansion.
This is not a normal geopolitical strategy.
This is empire language dressed up as security.
“Saving White People” and the Politics of Fear
Add to that the rhetoric around “saving white people” in places like South Africa—a narrative that has circulated in right-wing ecosystems—and you begin to see a pattern:
Fear framed as protection.
Protection framed as justification.
Justification used to normalize power.
History has seen this script before.
It never ends well.
Religion as Prop, Not Compass
What makes this moment especially dangerous is not just the policy—it’s the fusion of religion and power.
- A President sharing Christ-like imagery of himself
- Officials invoking God while escalating war
- A Vice President attempting to referee theology
Even conservative Christians are beginning to recoil at the spectacle.
Because when religion becomes a prop instead of a compass, it stops guiding power—and starts excusing it.
This Isn’t About Left vs. Right
Let me say this again clearly:
This is not about being anti-Trump.
This is about being pro-reality.
Pro-human life.
Pro-accountability.
You don’t need to be liberal, conservative, religious, or secular to see the danger in:
- Threatening entire civilizations
- Silencing moral voices
- Expanding power beyond borders
- Redefining war as righteousness
Who Gets to Define Morality?
When politicians tell the Pope to stay out of morality…
while simultaneously deciding who lives, who dies, and which nations matter—
That’s not a strength.
That’s hubris.
And history has a way of correcting hubris—with consequences that outlive the people who created it.
What You Can Do Now
- Pay attention to how language is used—especially around war
- Question any leader who claims moral authority while escalating violence
- Support independent journalism that challenges power, not echoes it
Because once morality becomes optional…
Everything else follows.
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