The Former President's Actions Pose a Danger to Civilized Society.
The national and international strategies – ranging from the attempted coup five years ago to current moves and statements – weaken both domestic and international legal frameworks. However, the issue goes deeper.
They endanger the very concept of what we mean by.
The guiding principle of any advanced culture is to forestall the stronger from attacking and exploiting the vulnerable. Failing that, we risk being locked in a conflict of all against all where survival of the strongest prevails.
This ideal lies at the center of the nation's founding texts. It’s also the foundation of the postwar international order championed by the America, which stresses multilateralism, democratic governance, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
Yet, it is a fragile principle, often broken by those who choose to misuse their power. Maintaining it demands that the influential have the moral fortitude to avoid seeking temporary advantages, and that the public ensure they answer for their actions should they falter.
Absolute power does not make right. It leads to instability, disruption, and war.
Every time individuals, companies, or nations that are richer and more powerful attack and exploit those that are less so, the framework of society unravels. Should such behavior are not contained, the fabric unravels. If not stopped, the world can descend into disorder and conflict. History provides ample precedent.
Our current reality is a global community grown vastly more unequal. Political and economic power are increasingly centralized than in recent memory. This encourages the elite to leverage their position against the weaker because they act with a sense of above the law.
The wealth of a small group of tycoons is difficult to fathom. The power of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors extends over numerous countries. Advanced technology is likely to consolidate resources and influence to a greater degree. The offensive capability of the leading countries is unprecedented in the annals of time.
Supported by a compliant faction and an accommodating high court, the executive office has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked agent of state power in recent memory.
Combine these factors and you grasp the looming crisis.
A clear connection links previous breaches of norms to ongoing menaces. These were founded upon the overconfidence of omnipotence.
One observes much the same in international affairs: in territorial invasions, in expansive ambitions, and in the worldwide exploitation by powerful corporate entities.
But, unfettered might does not make right. It produces fragility, revolution, and war.
History shows that laws and norms to limit the influential also safeguard them. Without such constraints, their relentless pursuit for more power and wealth eventually cause their collapse – and with them their corporations, nations, or empires. And risk world war.
This blatant lawlessness will plague America and the global community – and indeed civilized conduct – for the foreseeable future.
