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His domestic and foreign policies – ranging from the effort to overturn the election in the past to latest actions and warnings – undermine both domestic and international legal frameworks. But that’s not all.

These actions threaten the very concept of civilization itself.

The ethical foundation of a functioning society is to forestall the dominant from harming and taking advantage of the vulnerable. Otherwise, we could find ourselves trapped in a brutish war where might makes right wins.

This principle is central of the Declaration and Constitution. It is equally the core of the modern framework of international relations advocated by the America, which stresses international cooperation, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

But, it is a delicate principle, frequently ignored by those who seek to abuse their power. Upholding it requires that the powerful have enough integrity to abstain from seeking short-term wins, and that the public demand responsibility if they don't.

Unchecked strength does not equal right. It leads to instability, disruption, and war.

Every time people or corporations or countries that are wealthier and stronger prey upon those that are not, the framework of our shared norms weakens. If these actions are left unchecked, the fabric unravels. If not stopped, the world can plunge into chaos and war. We have seen this pattern previously.

We now inhabit a global community with deepening divides. Authority and resources are increasingly centralized than ever before. This creates conditions for the privileged to leverage their position against the disadvantaged because they feel untouchable.

The resources of a small group of billionaires is staggering. The reach of global industrial giants spans much of the globe. Artificial intelligence is could further concentrate resources and influence even more. The destructive power of the leading countries is unmatched in recorded history.

Enabled by a compliant faction and an accommodating supreme court, the executive office has been turned into the supreme and answerable-to-none agent of government in history.

Combine these factors and you see the danger.

A direct line links previous breaches of norms to ongoing threats. Both were premised on the overconfidence of invincibility.

One observes a similar pattern in other global contexts: in wars of aggression, in coercive diplomacy, and in the rampant monopolization by powerful corporate entities.

But, strength without restraint does not make right. It fosters uncertainty, upended order, and armed conflict.

Historical evidence demonstrates that laws and norms to constrain the powerful also safeguard them. Without such constraints, their insatiable demands for greater influence and riches ultimately cause their collapse – along with their corporations, nations, or empires. And pave the way for world war.

This kind of disregard for rules will haunt the nation and the world – and indeed civilization – for a long time.