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The domestic and foreign strategies – from the effort to overturn the election in the past to current actions and warnings – erode both domestic and international legal frameworks. But that’s not all.

These actions endanger the fundamental meaning of a civilized world.

A moral purpose of civilized society is to stop the dominant from preying upon and using the vulnerable. Without this, we would be permanently immersed in a conflict of all against all where might makes right wins.

This principle lies at the center of the Declaration and Constitution. This is also the foundation of the global system established after WWII advocated by the America, emphasizing collective action, popular sovereignty, human rights, and the supremacy of law.

However, it is a fragile construct, easily violated by those who choose to misuse their influence. Upholding it necessitates that the those in charge have the moral fortitude to abstain from seeking short-term wins, and that society demand responsibility when they fail.

Absolute power is not right. It makes for turmoil, upheaval, and conflict.

Every time people or corporations or countries that are richer and more powerful prey upon those that are less so, the framework of society frays. Should such behavior are allowed to continue, the system fails. Allowing it to persist, the world can plunge into disorder and conflict. We have seen this pattern previously.

Today, we live in a global community marked by extreme inequality. Influence and wealth are increasingly centralized than in recent memory. This creates conditions for the elite to exploit the disadvantaged because they act with a sense of above the law.

The fortunes of a small group of billionaires is staggering. The power of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace spans much of the globe. AI is could centralize economic and political clout further. The offensive capability of the major powers is unmatched in recorded history.

Empowered by political allies and an accommodating supreme court, the highest office has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked agent of government in recent memory.

Consider this confluence and you see the looming crisis.

A clear connection links previous transgressions to current threats. Each were based on the arrogance of omnipotence.

One observes a similar pattern in international affairs: in territorial invasions, in expansive ambitions, and in the rampant monopolization by powerful corporate entities.

Yet, strength without restraint does not establish right. It makes for fragility, upended order, and armed conflict.

The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to check the influential also protect them. If these guardrails are removed, their endless appetite for more power and wealth ultimately lead to their downfall – along with their corporations, nations, or empires. And threaten international catastrophe.

This kind of contempt for legal order will cast a long shadow over America and the global community – and the very idea of civilization – for the foreseeable future.