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His domestic and foreign policies – from the effort to overturn the election in the past to recent moves and warnings – undermine not only national and global legal frameworks. But that’s not all.

These actions threaten the core idea of what we mean by.

The guiding principle of civilized society is to stop the stronger from harming and taking advantage of the less powerful. Without this, we risk being permanently immersed in a conflict of all against all where might makes right wins.

This principle is central of the nation's founding texts. It’s also the core of the modern framework of international relations championed by the US, which stresses international cooperation, popular sovereignty, human rights, and the legal authority.

However, it is a delicate principle, frequently ignored by those who seek to abuse their power. Upholding it necessitates that the influential have enough integrity to refrain from seeking immediate gains, and that the rest of us hold them accountable when they fail.

Unchecked strength does not equal right. It results in instability, chaos, and conflict.

Each instance individuals, companies, or nations that are richer and more powerful target and use those that are not, the fabric of our shared norms frays. If such aggression are left unchecked, the system fails. If not stopped, the world can fall into chaos and war. We have seen this pattern previously.

Today, we live in a society and world marked by extreme inequality. Political and economic power are increasingly centralized than in recent memory. This invites the powerful to leverage their position against the weaker because they feel above the law.

The wealth of certain tycoons is almost beyond comprehension. The reach of big tech, big oil, and large defense contractors spans much of the globe. Advanced technology is poised to centralize wealth and power further. The offensive capability of the world's largest nations is without parallel in the annals of time.

Empowered by political allies and an accommodating supreme court, the highest office has been turned into the most powerful and unaccountable agent of the state in the modern era.

Consider this confluence and you see the danger.

An unbroken thread ties past transgressions to ongoing provocations. Both were premised on the hubris of invincibility.

There is parallel dynamics in the actions of other powers: in wars of aggression, in strategic threats, and in the global depredation by powerful corporate entities.

But, strength without restraint does not make right. It fosters uncertainty, revolution, and war.

History shows that rules and conventions to check the influential also shield them. Without such constraints, their relentless pursuit for increased control and resources in time lead to their downfall – taking down their enterprises, countries, or domains. And threaten global conflict.

This blatant disregard for rules will cast a long shadow over America and the global community – and indeed civilization – for the foreseeable future.