Americans are burning down the house

Americans once had a shared commitment to the traditional liberal democratic values: individual liberties, human rights, tolerance of dissent, free and fair elections, a free press, due process and separation of powers.

Or more concisely: liberty and justice for all.

Slowly but surely, we have been abandoning these shared values and drifting toward authoritarianism and mob rule.

Who’s leading the charge — left or right — depends on where you sit. Both sides claim to be the true champions of liberal democracy, yet neither seems particularly intent on safeguarding it when doing so hurts their team. CONT.

Catherine Rampell, Washington Post