Rule of Law vs. Rule of One
For those of us paying attention, this chapter of American life can feel demoralizing. Each day, seemingly, another norm eroded, law broken, dignity ignored. Which is all the more reason we should allow ourselves to feel hopeful and encouraged when the rule of law prevails — even just a little bit!
Take this week’s ruling by federal Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco, who found that the Trump administration illegally deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles this June for immigration‑raid protests. Crowd control, traffic blockades, arrest support — none of that is allowed under the Posse Comitatus Act, which explicitly forbids federal troops from performing law enforcement roles on U.S. soil.
The judge warned that what the administration was building looked dangerously like a national police force with the president as its chief, and he had to slam the breaks.
Now pair that with another federal court blocking Trump’s sweeping tariffs because only Congress, not a solo president, gets to write tax law — and you've got another reminder that checks and balances aren’t optional.
https://www.brightamerica.org/p/rule-of-law-vs-rule-of-one