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His national and international initiatives – ranging from the effort to overturn the election in the past to current incursions and statements – erode not only national and global legal frameworks. But that’s not all.

They jeopardize the core idea of a civilized world.

A guiding principle of a functioning society is to prevent the stronger from preying upon and using the weaker. Failing that, we risk being locked in a state of nature where might makes right prevails.

This principle lies at the center of the nation's founding texts. It’s also the foundation of the modern framework of international relations championed by the United States, built on multilateralism, democratic governance, human rights, and the legal authority.

Yet, it is a vulnerable construct, frequently ignored by those who would exploit their power. Upholding it necessitates that the those in charge have enough integrity to refrain from seeking temporary advantages, and that the rest of us ensure they answer for their actions should they falter.

Unchecked strength is not right. It leads to uncertainty, disruption, and hostilities.

Each instance entities that are richer and more powerful prey upon those that are less so, the framework of society weakens. If these actions are not contained, the structure collapses. Without intervention, the world can descend into chaos and war. History provides ample precedent.

Our current reality is a global community grown vastly more unequal. Influence and wealth are held by fewer hands than in modern history. This encourages the elite to leverage their position against the disadvantaged because they perceive themselves as above the law.

The wealth of a handful of billionaires is staggering. The power of global industrial giants covers numerous countries. Advanced technology is likely to further concentrate wealth and power further. The offensive capability of the major powers is unprecedented in the annals of time.

Supported by political allies and a pliant high court, the presidency has been made into the most dominant and unchecked agent of government in history.

Consider this confluence and you see the looming crisis.

An unbroken thread ties previous lawless actions to current threats. Both were premised on the hubris of invincibility.

You see much the same in the actions of other powers: in wars of aggression, in coercive diplomacy, and in the global depredation by powerful corporate entities.

But, strength without restraint does not make right. It fosters fragility, upheaval, and armed conflict.

Historical evidence demonstrates that frameworks designed to limit the influential also protect them. If these guardrails are removed, their insatiable demands for more power and wealth ultimately bring them down – and with them their corporations, nations, or empires. And risk international catastrophe.

This kind of disregard for rules will plague America and the global community – and the very idea of a rules-based order – for years to come.