From Ricardo Gray, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and former State Department official, about the viability of the United States Constitution
(regarding a New Times article about the children of presidents: http://time.com/4854905/donald-trump-jr-presidential-kids-trouble/?xid=newsletter-history)
"The reason why we can hope our constitution will work effectively is well illustrated by this situation, among so many others. Human nature is greedy and particularly short-sighted in seeing one's own faults and ethical lapses. The system of checks and balances along with numerous other separating conditions has been constructed to prevent long-term self interest and political enrichment.
"The founders did not add every condition to assure civilian government of elites who were not professional politicians. The powers reserved to the states and to the people are designed to hem in the broad and powerful obligations and rights of the executive and the legislature. Even the judicial system was set up to be put in place and have an overall structure determined by the executive, but to be relatively free of subservience by the Supreme Courts unlimited terms and distinct freedom from executive whim and goals.
"There are loads of incidents, especially I think now in modern times, of both legislators and executive members (including ex-presidents) sliding through an open door to greater wealth in jobs and actions intended to influence their old colleagues and especially the so-called deep state of permanent government professionals.
"A particular example is the determined ultimate control of the armed forces by the president, the only nationally elected executive official."
