THREAD. Please start paying attention to these slogans, because they have a meaning and purpose. Notice that Trump NEVER tweets, “RULE OF LAW!” Only “LAW & ORDER!” Why and what’s the difference?

2. “Rule of law” means that the law is the bar, and it is above EVERYONE. That includes looters, the police, the rich, the poor, politicians, the President. *Anyone* who crosses it is accountable.

3. “Law & Order,” by contrast, is about hierarchy. There are people who are disorderly, and it is the job of those in power to put them “back in their place.” In an L&O framework, people with power/authority can’t, by definition, be “disorderly,” because they are restoring order

4. So if LAW & ORDER is about hierarchy...which hierarchy is that? Hey, remember MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN? Let’s see...when was it “great,” according to Trump & Co.? Yeah it’s that hierarchy

5. The L&O framework and accompanying hierarchy also allows for selective exceptions to be made when they clash — e.g., pardons. In other words, with, say, Roger Stone, the authorities overreached: In his case, the FBI were jackbooted thugs who got out of control

6. That is consistent when you view L&O as reinforcing hierarchy: Stone has power and is close to authority, so obviously “order” being imposed on him is a mistake. Get it?

7. A Rule of Law framework implies *equal* justice, and it’s why Trump and his ilk don’t like it — you can’t make exceptions for your friends or reinforce a vision of an ideal, hierarchical social structure

8. So basically when Trump tweets LAW & ORDER, he’s engaging in Pavlovian conditioning to allow him to tag the people (blacks, Democrats, etc) who need to be “locked up” and also where his pals and others get a Get Out of Jail free card.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.