Donald Trump's Approach Present a Risk to Civilization.

The national and international strategies – from the attempted coup five years ago to current incursions and warnings – weaken both national and global law. But that’s not all.

These actions endanger the core idea of a civilized world.

A moral purpose of a functioning society is to prevent the stronger from attacking and exploiting the vulnerable. Without this, we could find ourselves trapped in a brutish war where survival of the strongest prevails.

This ideal is embedded of the Declaration and Constitution. It’s also the heart of the global system established after WWII championed by the United States, which stresses collective action, democracy, individual liberties, and the rule of law.

However, it is a fragile construct, often broken by those who choose to misuse their power. Maintaining it requires that the those in charge have the moral fortitude to avoid seeking short-term wins, and that the public demand responsibility if they don't.

Unchecked strength does not equal right. It results in turmoil, disruption, and war.

Whenever individuals, companies, or nations that are richer and more powerful target and use those that are weaker, the fabric of society unravels. If these actions are allowed to continue, the system fails. If not stopped, the world can fall into instability and violence. We have seen this pattern previously.

Today, we live in a international landscape with deepening divides. Authority and resources are increasingly centralized than in recent memory. This invites the powerful to exploit the less fortunate because they feel untouchable.

The wealth of certain tycoons is difficult to fathom. The influence of major corporations in technology, energy, and aerospace spans numerous countries. Advanced technology is likely to consolidate resources and influence to a greater degree. The offensive capability of the world's largest nations is unprecedented in recorded history.

Empowered by complicit legislators and a sympathetic high court, the executive office has been transformed into the supreme and answerable-to-none entity of state power in history.

Consider this confluence and you see the danger.

An unbroken thread connects previous lawless actions to present-day threats. Both were founded upon the hubris of absolute power.

There is parallel dynamics in the actions of other powers: in military conflicts, in expansive ambitions, and in the rampant monopolization by powerful corporate entities.

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

History shows that laws and norms to limit the influential also safeguard them. If these guardrails are removed, their relentless pursuit for greater influence and riches eventually bring them down – taking down their corporations, nations, or empires. And threaten world war.

This kind of contempt for legal order will haunt the nation and the world – and the very idea of civilization – for the foreseeable future.