His national and international policies – ranging from the challenge to the democratic process in the past to current moves and threats – weaken not only domestic and international jurisprudence. The implications are broader.
They threaten the core idea of a civilized world.
A moral purpose of civilized society is to forestall the dominant from attacking and exploiting the weaker. Failing that, we would be trapped in a state of nature where survival of the strongest could survive.
This principle lies at the center of America’s founding documents. It is equally the foundation of the global system established after WWII championed by the United States, emphasizing multilateralism, democratic governance, human rights, and the rule of law.
Yet, it is a vulnerable principle, frequently ignored by those who would exploit their authority. Preserving it necessitates that the those in charge have enough integrity to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that the public ensure they answer for their actions if they don't.
Unchecked strength does not make right. It makes for instability, upheaval, and war.
Each instance entities that are wealthier and stronger target and use those that are weaker, the structure of our shared norms weakens. Should such behavior are left unchecked, the structure collapses. Allowing it to persist, the world can fall into disorder and conflict. We have seen this pattern previously.
Today, we live in a society and world with deepening divides. Political and economic power are increasingly centralized than ever before. This encourages the privileged to take advantage of the less fortunate because they feel above the law.
The wealth of a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals is difficult to fathom. The power of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace spans a vast portion of the world. Advanced technology is likely to centralize resources and influence further. The offensive capability of the leading countries is unmatched in recorded history.
Empowered by complicit legislators and a sympathetic high court, the executive office has been made into the most powerful and unaccountable instrument of government in recent memory.
Put it all together and you perceive the looming crisis.
An unbroken thread connects past breaches of norms to current menaces. Each were founded upon the hubris of omnipotence.
There is much the same in other global contexts: in wars of aggression, in expansive ambitions, and in the worldwide exploitation by industrial titans.
But, strength without restraint does not establish right. It produces fragility, revolution, and war.
The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to constrain the influential also safeguard them. If these guardrails are removed, their insatiable demands for more power and wealth eventually bring them down – along with their enterprises, countries, or domains. And threaten global conflict.
This blatant lawlessness will cast a long shadow over the nation and the world – and indeed a rules-based order – for a long time.
