America and its Presidential Pardons
How did ancient Rome change from being a Republic to a monarchy? Not to take “credit” away from Julius Caesar or Augustus Caesar (who cemented the transformation), but a contributing factor is what Andrew Sullivan mentions: “Little abuses of power in the Roman system slowly multiplied, as rival factions exploited loopholes, or made minor adjustments, for short-term advantages.” The other “model” for changing a Republic to a dictatorship is the (German) Weimar Republic which was overthrown by Hitler. That was a short-lived Republic that collapsed under the weight of sanctions and war damages imposed by the victors of World War I. America, says Sullivan, if it were to stop being a Republic, is likely to go the Rome way, many small steps adding up over time. And Presidential pardons is looking like the most likely candidate for abuse. He points out other Presidential pardons have been questionable too, from Clinton (his half-brother) to Trump (his son-in-law’s fathe...