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The domestic and foreign policies – from the challenge to the democratic process five years ago to latest actions and warnings – undermine not only national and global jurisprudence. But that’s not all.

These actions jeopardize the fundamental meaning of what we mean by.

A guiding principle of a functioning society is to forestall the dominant from preying upon and using the less powerful. Without this, we could find ourselves locked in a conflict of all against all where might makes right wins.

This ideal is central of America’s founding documents. It’s also the heart of the global system established after WWII supported by the United States, emphasizing multilateralism, popular sovereignty, individual liberties, and the rule of law.

But, it is a delicate principle, often broken by those who would exploit their authority. Upholding it demands that the powerful have enough integrity to refrain from seeking immediate gains, and that the rest of us demand responsibility should they falter.

Unchecked strength does not make right. It leads to instability, chaos, and hostilities.

Whenever entities that are wealthier and stronger target and use those that are less so, the framework of our shared norms weakens. If such aggression are not contained, the system fails. Allowing it to persist, the world can descend into disorder and conflict. History provides ample precedent.

Today, we live in a society and world marked by extreme inequality. Influence and wealth are held by fewer hands than in modern history. This creates conditions for the privileged to leverage their position against the less fortunate because they perceive themselves as omnipotent.

The wealth of a small group of billionaires is almost beyond comprehension. The power of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors spans numerous countries. Advanced technology is could consolidate resources and influence to a greater degree. The offensive capability of the world's largest nations is unprecedented in recorded history.

Empowered by political allies and an accommodating supreme court, the highest office has been transformed into the most dominant and unchecked entity of the state in the modern era.

Put it all together and you grasp the threat.

An unbroken thread links earlier transgressions to current menaces. Both were founded upon the hubris of invincibility.

There is a similar pattern in other global contexts: in military conflicts, in expansive ambitions, and in the worldwide exploitation by industrial titans.

But, unfettered might does not create right. It makes for fragility, upheaval, and armed conflict.

The lessons of the past reveal that rules and conventions to constrain the powerful also shield them. Absent these limits, their relentless pursuit for increased control and resources in time lead to their downfall – along with their corporations, nations, or empires. And risk international catastrophe.

This blatant disregard for rules will haunt the nation and the world – and indeed civilization – for the foreseeable future.