Lawless America

Glenn Greenwald, in a recent interview with Reason, makes an important observation about the rule of law in America.  He writes:

I mean, the law in its most idealized form is this consistent, objective, concrete, identifiable set of rules and principles that constrict people's behavior. But in reality, the law, like everything else, is an instrument that those who wield the greatest power can use to maximize their power and to shield themselves from challenge and protection. You're exactly right: Nobody thought water boarding and these other techniques were anything but illegal, criminal torture. In fact, the U.S. government has prosecuted people for using them exactly on that theory. But legal memos got written. Courts have, if not accepted them, accepted the fact that their existence justified the decisions. So they just become legal by sort of fiat power. That's why, although I began writing about politics as a journalist [by focusing] a lot on legal questions, I almost never focus on them now, because they're really not relevant to the struggle for power or popular opinion.

Our nation cannot survive if this isn't remedied.  No nation that purports to create a government of the people, for the people, and by the people can exist if the defacto reality is a nation of men and not laws.

We need principled people.  We need real Americans.