To date, there have been three “No Kings” protests against the policies of the Trump administration. I have attended all three in Greenfield. If there is a fourth, I will most likely be there. But here is the thing: I do not believe Donald Trump thinks of himself as a king. No, a king is too small and weak for Trump.

Then how does Donald Trump think of himself? Trump seems to have cast himself in the role of the Hindu god Shiva, often known as “the Destroyer.”

So, let’s look at some of what Trump has already destroyed — or is in the process of destroying — in his second term.

The East Wing of the White House has been demolished for a planned ballroom. The traditional Rose Garden has been transformed from a garden into a hardscaped event space. The U.S. Department of Education is being dismantled. America’s traditional alliances have been damaged, as longtime allies question whether they can still depend on the United States. And our relationship with our neighbor and longtime friend Canada has been badly strained.

Parts of our civil rights infrastructure are also being weakened. The Education Department has removed disparate-impact provisions from its Title VI regulations. These may sound like bureaucratic changes, but they affect the government’s ability to address discrimination.

And what else is Trump trying to destroy?

The right to vote. The rule of law. The independence of the courts. The independence of federal agencies. The civil service. Freedom of the press. Environmental protections. The principle that government employees serve the Constitution rather than one president.

And perhaps most important of all: American democracy itself.

But destruction doesn’t stop at Washington. Eventually, it reaches the kitchen table.

Trump’s decision to wage war against Iran has consequences far beyond the battlefield. It has disrupted energy markets and contributed to higher energy costs. Inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and energy prices have risen sharply.

And who pays the price? Not billionaires. Not Wall Street. Working people.

People who get up every morning, go to work, pay their taxes and try to provide for their families are finding it harder to make their paychecks stretch from one month to the next. Higher gasoline and energy costs ripple through the entire economy. They affect transportation, food, heating and almost everything we buy.

The consequences are not confined to America, either. Oil and gas markets are global. When a major conflict disrupts energy supplies, the economic consequences can spread around the world.

My understanding is that in the Hindu tradition, Shiva is not simply a god of destruction. Destruction can be part of transformation and renewal. Something old must sometimes be destroyed before something new can emerge.

But what happens when the person occupying the presidency sees destruction not as a means to renewal, but as an accomplishment in itself?

Then, that begs the question: What can we do? We, the people, can use our main power. We can vote. Vote on Nov. 3.

Richard Wedegartner lives in Greenfield.