This administration’s disregard for the rule of law and its multiple deviations from the constraints of the Constitution have been particularly shocking, because its contempt for the rules is so blatant, but a glance back through history yields other examples of administrations pursuing arguably reasonable ends by questionable or improper means. (There is, for example, the relatively recent example of the Iraq war. As I noted at the time, reasonable people might have agreed that ridding the world of Sadaam Hussain was a positive, even if it turned out that he didn’t have weapons of mass destruction. Many of those same people, however, quite properly condemned the dishonest process through which the Bush administration led us into that war.)
As I have often noted, in governance, there are two basic questions: What and How. Ends and means. Our current political polarization is between the MAGA/Project 2025 ideologues who are focused solely on the “what,” and those of us who are intent upon protecting a Constitutional order prescribing “how.” That’s a critical difference.
Some twenty-plus years ago, Rick Perlstein made a point about the political parties that has only gotten more apt.
We Americans love to cite the “political spectrum” as the best way to classify ideologies. The metaphor is incorrect: it implies symmetry. But left and right today are not opposites. They are different species. It has to do with core principles. To put it abstractly, the right always has in mind a prescriptive vision of its ideal future world—a normative vision. Unlike the left (at least since Karl Marx neglected to include an actual description of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” within the 2,500 pages of Das Kapital), conservatives have always known what the world would look like after their revolution: hearth, home, church, a businessman’s republic. The dominant strain of the American left, on the other hand, certainly since the decline of the socialist left, fetishizes fairness, openness, and diversity. (Liberals have no problem with home, hearth, and church in themselves; they just see them as one viable life-style option among many.) If the stakes for liberals are fair procedures, the stakes for conservatives are last things: either humanity trends toward Grace, or it hurtles toward Armageddon…
For liberals, generally speaking, honoring procedures—the means—is at the very core of being “principled,” of acting with legitimacy. Today’s conservatives, however, fight for desired outcomes—the ends, and they are very willing to do so at the expense of what they dismiss as “procedural niceties.”
For example, in a constitutional democracy, the franchise is first among the means. Democrats generally understand the electoral system to be one in which citizens demonstrate their preference for “ends”–for policies–at the ballot box; accordingly, they believe that the more extensive the turnout, the more legitimate the ensuing legislative mandate.
Republicans–focused on ends–disagree.
Red states like Indiana try to eliminate as many urban and minority voters from the rolls as possible–efforts that make all kinds of sense to people who believe they are on a mission to save civilization from an Armageddon where “those people” will replace the good White “Christian” men that their God wants in charge. Those Republican officeholders agree with Machiavelli, who said “We ought to see clearly that the end does justify the means…If the method I am using to accomplishes the goal I am aiming at, it is for that reason a good method.”
The problem is, when an end is achieved by an improper means, it is illegitimate. Even a good end achieved by an illegitimate means undermines the rule of law and threatens social peace.
That’s a lesson Trump is incapable of learning. I’ll belabor that point tomorrow when discussing Venezuela.
Lots to unpack here … Republicans don’t care about rule of law if it interferes with their ends. Republicans don’t care about society unless it suddenly becomes too impoverished to make them rich. Republicans will use ANY and all excuses to justify their means – legal or illegal – because their oligarchs tell them not to.
These days, the oligarchs feel so flush with power that they can simply buy the law, create the fictitious platform that justifies their destruction of American capitalism; that will occur when they think they have ALL the wealth and power … and not just here. Did you hear how many times Trump mentioned Venezuelan oil? Did you read that all the American oil barons are planning a “workshop” in Venezuela in March? That should give them enough time top upgrade all the hotels so their pampered asses will be comfy.
Sorry. Forgive my anger. I actually still believe in the Constitution and the rule of law. Silly me.
What’s incredible about yesterday’s account of Venezuela was the use of so many AI-generated or old videos. Laura Loomer shared a photo on X.com of protesters removing a banner of Maduro. It was a 2024 video, but it was all over Facebook from the right-wingers.
The moral compass of the US eroded a very long time ago. In fact, some would say we never had one, and I support that. We still have this illusion that the Ds follow a moral code while the Rs do not. That is the red vs blue pill illusion.
The voters may differ on each side, but the politicians fall into the same category. The Ds may be better actors. We manipulate the whole process of “ends and means” through psyops and black-flag events. We (the USA) created a phony, illusory story in Venezuela just like they did in Ukraine, just like they did in Iran, just like they did in Iraq and Afghanistan, etc., etc.
We create a scenario that only the US can fix. All the drugs flowing into the US were killing 100 million Americans (according to Pam Bondi) every year. LOL Therefore, every boat Miller and Rubio blast is saving American lives – they are both heroes. We have several agencies in the US, along with global agencies that study drug cartels and trafficking numbers. Still, neither Trump nor Miller/Rubio ever quoted those factual numbers to justify their attacks.
We are a rogue gangster state just like Israel. We do as we please because we are the chosen ones to lead the world. The Anglo-Zionist gang has turned its back on international laws, and so have our puppet countries in Europe. This is why I don’t believe we will have elections later in the year. Losing the election would have too many consequences for Trump’s administration.
“The problem is, when an end is achieved by an improper means, it is illegitimate.”
Has any attorney stepped up to use this defense to remove President Maduro and his First Lady from our “justice” system and indict Trump and our military leaders for following his illegal orders and using illegitimate means using our elite military to carry out Trump’s illegal action orders?
Knowledge of all Rule of Law in this country is useless today; useless on our streets, in our courts and is being ignored globally by allies and enemies alike.
“The ends do not justify the means” is a fundamental American precept.” Trump’s “end” to reap his claim of “Spoils of War” does not justify his stealing Venezuela’s oil supply which he claims they have stolen from the U.S. His “means” have stolen Russia’s and China’s Venezuelan oil supply; will they use any “means” to recoup their loss?
Thank you, Sheila, for a clear framing of some fundamentals. I wonder what action, if any, would bring Republicans in the House and Senate to take even baby steps to restrain tRump.
The Republicans are ruthless while the Democrats are feckless.
Just a thought; I began wondering, after seeing the cheering Venezuelans in the U.S regarding Trump’s attack, how many Venezuelans have been rounded up in his ICE attacks with help from National Guard troops and deported to other countries. Researching ICE action locally I could only fine listed articles about ICE sightings; I will not pay for information on line from the Star.
The Migration Policy Institute in 2023 reported approximately 770,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. The ZIPAtlas (no date) reported 1,579 living in Indianapolis.
As I said, just a thought? Are there statics on numbers of national origin of those deported on any level from any location? I still think about the ICE roundups in Trump’s first term when babies and children were taken from parents, assigned different case numbers, and appear to continue to be lost in Trump’s “system”.
That would explain this:
“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
– Barry Goldwater
The Myers Briggs explains these 2 groups at the fundamental inborn personality level: perceiving and judging types. Judging types focus on ends. Perceivers focus on means or process. STJs are the main drivers of the calamities we are enduring, I suspect. Read the book Please Understand Me, to get a handle on these forces impacting our current tragedy.
Thanks. When hate rules over some measure of balance,
We all lose.
“Home and hearth,” how’s that defined? It’s a GOP talking point. The truth is, the overarching goal, preservation of White patriarchy, doesn’t make for an agreeable party platform, when it’s said out loud. As example, White fathers in families can assign almost all of the child nurturing to women. Then, with high handed, false pronouncement, they condemn men in the Black community, by labeling them absent fathers. CBS reported (6-23-2023) on research that shows Black dads are more involved in their children’s lives than other groups.
‘’Church” in the GOP platform, also, has the goal of preserving White patriarchy. Religionists lap up media’s “reporting” about the Vatican’s prayers for international “peace.” The sound bites make for, very safe PR for the Church while keeping the hierarchy in the spotlight. There’s no need for a “peace” deliverable nor, expectation for it. The Trump administration knows the value of selectively listening to the Church hierarchy in areas like peace and social justice. The US Catholic bishops’ political agenda is rejection of civil rights and, the thwarting of social progress and democracy. Implementation of the Bishops’ anti-democracy, “chaplains of capitalism,” agenda has had great success under politicians elected by White Catholics and, Protestant evangelicals.
Bravo, Sheila!
The friend who takes me to church started talking about Venezuela on the way home. I went a little heavier than I usually do. He is a little older than I am, but he served in the Air Force. We are of an age that ought to know better than be happy about this invasion. He started out by saying he had read somewhere online that the Dems were worried about the country finding out how much Maduro had bribed them. The misinformation has already started.
L.L, “‘Religionists lap up media’s “reporting” about the Vatican’s prayers for international ‘peace.'” That is tantamount to wishing for a unicorn to be one’s pet. Sounds nice, huh? Useless! I won’t into the many other deleterious effects of religion, here.
Trump is like Goldwater on steroids!
how far will the magas go in our own streets, when congress abides to a dictator. how far will the magas go.think domestic now.
AI has the docia on most everyone thanks to tech greed. the government can buy it at will,no warrent needed. ice is being formed for what other reasons.
think domestic.
Mitch D.
Thanks for the comment. The knee jerk defensiveness of the right wing,
religion-addled should be called out. It’s their membership in the churches that praise Trump/Charlie Kirk like archbishop Timothy Dolan’s that enables the lawlessness of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. They should take ownership for the irreparable harm they are causing including the victimization
of all who are in the path of American authoritarianism.
Ownership? Them? It is not in their DNA.
As in “The end justifies the means,” they do not care.