The Former President's Approach Present a Danger to Civilized Society.
The domestic and foreign strategies – ranging from the effort to overturn the election five years ago to recent actions and threats – undermine not only national and global law. But that’s not all.
They jeopardize the fundamental meaning of a civilized world.
The guiding principle of civilized society is to prevent the more powerful from preying upon and using the less powerful. Otherwise, we could find ourselves locked in a brutish war where only the fittest could survive.
This principle is embedded of the nation's founding texts. This is also the heart of the global system established after WWII championed by the America, which stresses multilateralism, democratic governance, individual liberties, and the rule of law.
But, it is a delicate ideal, often broken by those who seek to abuse their power. Preserving it necessitates that the influential have enough integrity to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that the public demand responsibility should they falter.
Absolute power does not equal right. It results in instability, chaos, and conflict.
Whenever people or corporations or countries that are richer and more powerful target and use those that are not, the structure of society weakens. If these actions are allowed to continue, the structure collapses. Without intervention, the world can fall into chaos and war. We have seen this pattern previously.
Our current reality is a international landscape marked by extreme inequality. Authority and resources are increasingly centralized than ever before. This invites the elite to exploit the less fortunate because they feel above the law.
The wealth of a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals is staggering. The power of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors extends over a vast portion of the world. AI is poised to centralize resources and influence further. The destructive power of the leading countries is unmatched in human history.
Empowered by political allies and an accommodating supreme court, the presidency has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked entity of the state in recent memory.
Combine these factors and you perceive the danger.
A clear connection connects past lawless actions to ongoing provocations. These were based on the hubris of invincibility.
One observes parallel dynamics in international affairs: in wars of aggression, in strategic threats, and in the worldwide exploitation by industrial titans.
But, strength without restraint does not make right. It fosters instability, upheaval, and armed conflict.
The lessons of the past reveal that laws and norms to check the powerful also safeguard them. If these guardrails are removed, their insatiable demands for increased control and resources in time lead to their downfall – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And risk international catastrophe.
Such lawlessness will cast a long shadow over America and the global community – and the very idea of civilization – for a long time.
