President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Tuesday that he had no intention of pressing for an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server or the financial operations of her family’s foundation, dropping the “lock her up” pledge that became a rallying cry for his campaign for the White House.
The US presidential election is ample evidence that the US version of democracy is not perfect. People are lazy, and they pin their hopes on leaders. But this is a remnant of 18th century feudal ideology, not the spirit of the rule of law in the 21st century. The only way to assure long-term stability is through comprehensive constitutional reform so that a great system will push leaders to be great. The prerequisite for clean government is free speech and media access without charge in election campaigns.