The Former President's Actions Constitute a Threat to Civilization.
His domestic and foreign policies – including the attempted coup five years ago to recent moves and warnings – weaken both domestic and international law. But that’s not all.
These actions jeopardize the very concept of a civilized world.
The ethical foundation of a functioning society is to forestall the stronger from attacking and exploiting the vulnerable. Otherwise, we could find ourselves trapped in a state of nature where only the fittest prevails.
This principle lies at the center of the nation's founding texts. It is equally the foundation of the modern framework of international relations advocated by the US, emphasizing collective action, popular sovereignty, fundamental freedoms, and the legal authority.
Yet, it is a vulnerable ideal, easily violated by those who seek to abuse their power. Maintaining it requires that the influential have enough integrity to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that society hold them accountable when they fail.
Absolute power does not equal right. It results in turmoil, upheaval, and conflict.
Every time individuals, companies, or nations that are advantaged prey upon those that are not, the fabric of society unravels. If such aggression are left unchecked, the fabric unravels. Without intervention, the world can descend into chaos and war. It has happened before.
Our current reality is a global community grown vastly more unequal. Political and economic power are increasingly centralized than in recent memory. This creates conditions for the privileged to take advantage of the less fortunate because they act with a sense of above the law.
The fortunes of a small group of tycoons is almost beyond comprehension. The influence of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace covers numerous countries. Advanced technology is likely to centralize wealth and power further. The offensive capability of the major powers is without parallel in recorded history.
Empowered by political allies and a sympathetic supreme court, the presidency has been made into the supreme and answerable-to-none agent of government in history.
Put it all together and you perceive the danger.
A clear connection connects past transgressions to present-day provocations. Both were founded upon the hubris of absolute power.
One observes a similar pattern in other global contexts: in territorial invasions, in coercive diplomacy, and in the global depredation by massive conglomerates.
But, unfettered might does not establish right. It fosters fragility, upended order, and armed conflict.
History shows that laws and norms to limit the influential also shield them. Absent these limits, their endless appetite for increased control and resources in time cause their collapse – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And risk world war.
This kind of disregard for rules will haunt international stability – and indeed civilized conduct – for a long time.
