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His domestic and foreign strategies – from the attempted coup in the past to current incursions and warnings – undermine not only domestic and international jurisprudence. But that’s not all.

These actions threaten the core idea of a civilized world.

The guiding principle of civilized society is to stop the more powerful from preying upon and using the weaker. Without this, we risk being trapped in a brutish war where only the fittest prevails.

This principle is embedded of the nation's founding texts. This is also the foundation of the postwar international order championed by the US, which stresses international cooperation, democracy, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.

Yet, it is a delicate ideal, often broken by those who choose to misuse their influence. Maintaining it necessitates that the powerful have a sense of duty to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that the rest of us ensure they answer for their actions if they don't.

Unchecked strength does not equal right. It leads to turmoil, upheaval, and war.

Each instance people or corporations or countries that are wealthier and stronger attack and exploit those that are weaker, the framework of society weakens. If these actions are left unchecked, the structure collapses. If not stopped, the world can fall into chaos and war. We have seen this pattern previously.

We now inhabit a society and world marked by extreme inequality. Political and economic power are more concentrated than ever before. This creates conditions for the privileged to take advantage of the disadvantaged because they act with a sense of omnipotent.

The wealth of a small group of tycoons is almost beyond comprehension. The reach of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace spans much of the globe. Advanced technology is poised to consolidate resources and influence further. The military might of the leading countries is unmatched in the annals of time.

Enabled by political allies and a pliant supreme court, the highest office has been turned into the most dominant and unchecked agent of government in the modern era.

Put it all together and you grasp the threat.

A clear connection links earlier transgressions to ongoing provocations. These were founded upon the hubris of omnipotence.

One observes much the same in the actions of other powers: in wars of aggression, in strategic threats, and in the rampant monopolization by massive conglomerates.

However, raw power does not create right. It fosters fragility, upheaval, and armed conflict.

Historical evidence demonstrates that laws and norms to constrain the influential also shield them. If these guardrails are removed, their insatiable demands for greater influence and riches ultimately cause their collapse – and with them their enterprises, countries, or domains. And risk world war.

This blatant disregard for rules will plague international stability – and the very idea of civilized conduct – for the foreseeable future.