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Trust is a fabric that holds society together. Without it we would be lost, unable to build friendships or coalitions or businesses or countries. Democracy is constructed of that same fabric. It is strong, very strong, but not infinitely strong. Sometimes trust does not get the attention it needs to stay strong. Sometimes it is abused. A friendship can break. A business can fail. In the extreme, even a democracy can collapse when the trust that created it and held it together is abused. Abuse of trust can make you rich. If no one is looking you can rob a bank. You can lie and get ahead in business if everyone trusts you and believes everything you say. You can even use trust to control others. When is it time to distrust? When is it time to put trust to the test? The answer is, always. It is always a good time to question our assumptions. Testing and verifying our trusted relationships does not make those relationships weaker. It makes them stronger. Unquestioned, unverified and unaccountable trust is like signing a contract that you are not allowed to read — a blind covenant.