The Former President's Approach Present a Danger to Civilized Society.
His national and international policies – including the effort to overturn the election five years ago to recent incursions and warnings – erode not only national and global jurisprudence. The implications are broader.
These actions endanger the fundamental meaning of what we mean by.
The guiding principle of a functioning society is to prevent the stronger from harming and taking advantage of the weaker. Otherwise, we could find ourselves locked in a state of nature where survival of the strongest wins.
This ideal is central of the Declaration and Constitution. It is equally the foundation of the postwar international order supported by the US, built on international cooperation, popular sovereignty, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
Yet, it is a vulnerable ideal, easily violated by those who seek to abuse their influence. Maintaining it demands that the those in charge have enough integrity to refrain from seeking immediate gains, and that the rest of us hold them accountable should they falter.
Unfettered might is not right. It makes for uncertainty, chaos, and conflict.
Each instance entities that are wealthier and stronger target and use those that are not, the structure of our shared norms frays. Should such behavior are allowed to continue, the fabric unravels. If not stopped, the world can plunge into disorder and conflict. History provides ample precedent.
Our current reality is a global community with deepening divides. Influence and wealth are increasingly centralized than ever before. This invites the privileged to exploit the less fortunate because they feel above the law.
The resources of a small group of billionaires is difficult to fathom. The influence of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace extends over numerous countries. Advanced technology is poised to centralize economic and political clout even more. The offensive capability of the world's largest nations is unprecedented in recorded history.
Empowered by political allies and a sympathetic supreme court, the presidency has been transformed into the most dominant and unchecked agent of government in recent memory.
Put it all together and you perceive the danger.
A clear connection ties earlier transgressions to ongoing provocations. These were based on the hubris of absolute power.
There is parallel dynamics in the actions of other powers: in wars of aggression, in coercive diplomacy, and in the worldwide exploitation by powerful corporate entities.
Yet, raw power does not establish right. It fosters fragility, upended order, and war.
Historical evidence demonstrates that frameworks designed to constrain the powerful also shield them. If these guardrails are removed, their endless appetite for more power and wealth in time lead to their downfall – and with them their enterprises, countries, or domains. And pave the way for international catastrophe.
Such lawlessness will plague international stability – and indeed a rules-based order – for years to come.
