As a kid in the 80s, I bought wholeheartedly into the image of the United States as a force for good in the world. As I got older, I became aware of America’s dirty deeds. But those were nasty things that America did but it wasn’t who we were. We had also been an engine for growth, advancement, and a bulwark against tyranny. We made mistakes, but we always were striving to be better.

In Star Wars parlance, I always saw myself, America, and the Western world as a whole, as the Rebel Alliance, fighting against the evil Empire of the Eastern Bloc.

But here’s the thing:

America was always the evil Empire in Star Wars; according to a 2015 interview between James Cameron and George Lucas, Lucas originally wrote the rebels as the Viet Kong, and the Empire as a stand-in for both American and British colonialism.

I always felt those days were behind America. Since then, America is trying to be better.

More than anything, I think that is what makes me sick to my stomach about the Trump Administration’s war mongering, out-for-its-own-enrichment foreign policy. America is no longer trying to be better. America will kidnap foreign leaders like Maduro in order to control Venezuelan oil fields at the whims of Dear Leader and his billionaire sycophants. His administration will bully and threaten and use American power not to defend, but to murder and to extort with impunity.

(And yes, one can make a strong argument that Trump is “wagging the dog” to distract from the Epstein File releases. That said, murder, kidnapping, and extorting other nations stands as it’s own crime.)

If the world were strong and united, America would pay a heavy price for this kind of illegal violence. Ambassadors would be immediately withdrawn, assets frozen, international US bases ordered closed, trade embargoed until Maduro was returned. Sure, he’s a horrible guy, and many are happy he’s gone, but that doesn’t give the Trump Administration the right to kidnap him. Just as, as much as I would rejoice if China (or anyone) would kidnap Trump, they have no right to do so.

But the world won’t do these things. It relies too much on American trade, American defense, American money. There have been sternly worded and alarmed responses. American Democratic congresspeople have posted stern tweets. The UN Security Council intends to meet soon to discuss it. Maybe those Democrats not afraid to use the levers of power can get some kind of hearings going. Maybe lawsuits will be filed. But the ugly truth is that the Trump Administration is going to get away with it, just the way Emperor Palpatine gets away with it.

So it’s time for us to become the Rebel Alliance. Nobody is coming to save America from itself. We have to be the ones to save America, and by doing so, help to save the world.

We have to be vocal about not supporting this kind of illegal use of force. We have to boycott products of the billionaires as much as is feasible for us. We need to support legal challenges to everything this administration does. We need to support with our money, time, and votes candidates who directly oppose the current administration and understand how to wield the levers of power, not simply write sternly worded letters.

And we need to be realistic about it. Holding out for moral purity is a recipe for failure. It’s not about my dream candidate or your dream candidate. To win, we have to form a coalition of people who don’t necessarily agree on everything, but do agree that America needs to not be the evil Empire. Maybe we have different social views. Maybe we have different economic views. This isn’t about perfection, it’s about fielding candidates who can win. We need elected officials who aren’t afraid to wield power, and will do so in the service of the people, not the billionaire oligarchs, or the special interests. We can’t huff and puff that if we don’t get a pony, we’ll sit this one out.

Nobody gets a pony. But everyone gets an X-wing, if they’re ready to pilot it. Together, let’s bring down the Death Star.