"One for all, and all for one," the pledge made by the Three Musketeers, is sometimes written out in the opposite order: "All for one, and one for all."
Click right here for a discussion of the origin of this well-known pledge. It seems to me that the order chosen either highlights the need for individuals to make the welfare of the community their first priority, or (conversely) the need for the community to make support for each individual within the community its primary aim and ambition. I come down strongly on "both sides" of any debate about the most appropriate articulation of the pledge. Both things are absolutely required.
Incidentally, there is a surprise presented in the discussion I have linked above. The claim is made that it was not Alexander Dumas who came up with that phrase, but William Shakespeare.
I am highlighting the pledge of the Three Musketeers to suggest that this is the spirit that should be animating the "resistance" to the outrages that we have already seen and absolutely expect to continue to see coming from the Trump Administration, as the Administration will be attempting to execute on some of Trump's most outrageous campaign promises - for instance, the extra-legal deportation of millions of undocumented persons, including by way of a military roundup.
Right after November 5th of last year, many who had not supported the election of Donald Trump were discouraged, and more or less stipulated to having been "defeated." They gave the impression that they were now expecting to walk off the field, and that we had reached the "End of Democracy."
Others (I think more correctly) took the position that while the election might have been lost, they would not stipulate to "defeat," and promised "resistance" to the kind of policies advocated by the president, and by his most ardent supporters. What happens now is obviously still in question, and I do think that the Pledge of the Three Musketeers is good guidance. The Musketeers have no connection to Elon Musk, by the way, just in case there might be any confusion on that point.
If the "literary" pledge of the Three Musketeers doesn't seem compelling as a reliable guide to our "real life" situation right now, please let me remind everyone of a pledge taken by those who signed our Declaration of Independence:
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor (emphasis added).
This pledge tells us exactly what "resistance" requires. Resistance requires that small groups of people come together and pledge both to themselves, and to the world, that they will mobilize their "lives," their "fortunes," and their "sacred honor" to achieve what the Declaration promised. And here's that promise: That "all persons are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Would you like a 21st Century update? Why not add the Star Trek Pledge to our renewed commitment to what was pledged in the Declaration? You probably remember that one, even if you forgot about the "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" pledge of 1776.
If you by some chance forgot, here's that Star Trek pledge. Let's add it on. The Star Trek pledge is pretty simple:
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Love you Gary🙏
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