The foundation of democracy is not the rule of law, it is that governments and those in power accept the rule of law and the conventions that bound many of them.

Trump does not
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/3/21257133/trump-2020-election-meltdown-lawrence-douglas

What we are finding is that a vast amount of what keeps a democracy functioning is assuming that those in power will do the right thing.

What Trump has fully revealed is that if you ignore conventions there is little you can do.

We see it here as well - oh you lied to parliament and *should* resign? Pfft no.

Oh government committes *should not* be used for partisan purposes? Lulz. No.

etc etc

The holding to account aspect of media is struggling mightily in the face of politicians with no shame or care about being caught in a lie or in dodgy operations

The big problem with Trump is he just didn't even bother to use the mask the conservatives around th world used.

Why pretend to care about not being seen to be corrupt and racist?

And other conservatives around the world has seen how liberating it is to get power through straight up lying - why even bother to use grey areas, just say white is black

I don't know what things look like in 10 years, because the only way things improve IMO are if a party in power does something it knows will hurt it now, but be good in the long-run.... and then trust that the next govt will abide by the same attitude.

Why would you do the first if you don't trust the second will occur?

I mean *right now* we have a govt that just dispenses with sitting days like it is no big deal.

It has made advice by non-elected advisors subject to cabinet in confidence

At least here we don't have masses of gun-totting nut jobs like the USA, but that doesn't mean our current deomcracy is in any way operating like it should be.

Anyway, it's hard not to see this year as a tipping point.

Enjoy your weekend!!!