Cruelty as Governance: Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Agenda of Injustice
John Rawls once wrote, “A bad man desires arbitrary power, but an evil man delights in injustice.” This distinction resonates deeply when examining the actions of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican-dominated legislature over the past six years. Their political maneuvers reveal a pattern not merely of consolidating power but of inflicting harm and exploiting the vulnerable—actions that seem to derive satisfaction from the suffering of others. This is not governance; it is cruelty institutionalized.
DeSantis and his legislative allies have championed policies that target marginalized communities, not to improve society but seemingly to stoke division and reinforce power through oppression. Consider their relentless assault on LGBTQ+ rights. Legislation like the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibits discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, silencing LGBTQ+ youth and forcing educators into fearful compliance. This law sends a chilling message: these students and their lives are unworthy of acknowledgment or respect. By marginalizing vulnerable children, DeSantis and his allies are not merely exerting power—they are reveling in the pain and alienation they cause.
Similarly, the attacks on racial justice and diversity programs reflect a deliberate intent to erase history and suppress truth. The Stop W.O.K.E. Act bans teaching certain aspects of systemic racism, effectively whitewashing history and denying the lived experiences of Black and brown communities. By silencing conversations about inequality, DeSantis denies future generations the tools to understand and address racism. Worse still, he perpetuates cycles of injustice, ensuring that the structures of oppression remain intact. In this calculated cruelty, we see not just a disregard for justice but an active delight in preserving systems of harm.
Perhaps most egregious is the state’s treatment of immigrants. The recent anti-immigrant law criminalizes efforts to assist undocumented people, even targeting those providing humanitarian aid. It dehumanizes individuals fleeing poverty, violence, and despair, turning them into scapegoats for political gain. DeSantis’s decision to fly asylum seekers to distant states under false pretenses was a grim demonstration of cruelty for spectacle. These individuals, seeking safety and dignity, were exploited for a political stunt designed to humiliate them while energizing their base. It was a calculated act of injustice, devoid of humanity, and executed with apparent relish.
Reproductive rights have also been decimated under DeSantis’s leadership. The six-week abortion ban imposes one of the most draconian restrictions in the nation, forcing individuals to carry pregnancies under traumatic or dangerous circumstances. It is not enough for DeSantis and his allies to restrict access to care—they must strip individuals of autonomy and dignity, reveling in the power to control others’ most intimate decisions.
John Rawls’s words illuminate the dark truth about these policies: they are not merely about consolidating authority. They embody a deeper malice—the joy of inflicting harm on those who cannot fight back. DeSantis and the Republican legislature have weaponized their power not to serve the people of Florida but to create a society where oppression thrives and the vulnerable suffer for their amusement.
This is more than bad governance. It is evil in action, a deliberate delight in injustice, and a stark reminder of the urgent need to resist. Social justice demands not only dismantling these oppressive systems but ensuring they are replaced with policies rooted in compassion, equality, and a commitment to the dignity of all people.
