Peril to Democracy     
   
   Having finished Liars, Leakers and Liberals, we've just begun The Russia Hoax by Gregg Jarrett. We pass along this section from his Preface:
   

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   "The greatest peril to democracy today is not a foreign force, but the abuse of power from within. Those who operate under color of authority are prone to exploit it for political reasons and personal gain. In a government of laws, they too often fail to follow the law themselves. 

   "As Justice Brandeis put it, 'if the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.' 

   "The most celebrated form of governance known to the world is democracy. It is a system of, by and for the people. Because of this personal construct, democracy is susceptible to the same human frailties that afflict us all - greed, prejudice, hubris, intellectual dishonesty and moral weakness. 

   "Government, therefore, is only as sound and effective as the people who are empowered to run it at any given time. This is its fundamental imperfection.

   "Sometimes, driven by these flaws of the human condition, democracy can be trifled with by those who hold the reins of power. Despite carefully devised checks and balances, individual positions are nevertheless misused in ways unseen by the public. 

   "Systems are unduly influenced in defiance of both the law and conscience. Misdeeds are covered up."