Donald Trump is a menace to democracy. He threatens the foundation of the American republic, namely the peaceful and consensual transfer of power, which demands both restraint from winners and consent from losers. Trump plainly cares nothing for these things. The former president's lack of…
Donald Trump is a menace to democracy. He threatens the foundation of the American republic, namely the peaceful and consensual transfer of power, which demands both restraint from winners and consent from losers. Trump plainly cares nothing for these things. The former president's lack of self-control, mendacity, and neediness should disqualify him from contention for high office.
In any case, there have been much more serious violations of the Constitution — going to war without congressional approval, for example, or abusing emergency powers to sideline the legislature. Such breaches were rightly seen as political rather than legal in nature, and it was understood to be up to the voters to punish infractions at the polls.
Look at what is happening around the world right now. This column regularly laments that liberal democracy is in retreat, but the precise form of that retreat is worth considering. We talk of elections being “rigged,” but this is rare because it is almost impossible to falsify election results without everyone being in on the scam.
But the tendency is spreading to former democracies. The recent Turkish election, for example, was fair in the sense that Recep Tayyip Erdogan won more votes than his opponent — but only after a more popular opponent had been given a prison sentence for insulting the Supreme Election Council. The leader of India’s opposition was also recently sentenced for using insulting language.
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