In the reckless escalation of our lawless president's recent actions regarding Iran we see the poisonous fruits of impunity. Leaving aside the evident thoughtlessness of the decision and the certainty of terrible consequences, assassinating Soleimani was a violation of international law and an act of war. Ordering it without informing allies was disloyal. Doing so without informing the leaders of Congress was unconstitutional. Topping it off with threats to destroy sites "important to the Iranian culture" signals a willingness to commit war crimes. Donald J. Trump has made the US into a rogue state. The man is out of control. Responsible are his enablers, who do not just permit his lawlessness but celebrate it - though they will probably not be the ones to suffer for it. How do the rest of us reclaim legitimacy for American government, domestically and internationally, and how could we ever make amends for the many innocents who will die before that?
