It had been a long time, perhaps too long, since the world had seen scenes like those now repeated day after day in the United States among the group of countries that claim to be civilized, lawful, and constitutional. Raids, crackdowns, and persecutions are carried out as if force were enough and the law were a hindrance. Operations that, rather than enforcing rules, seem designed to instill fear. And when fear becomes a method, the rule of law ceases to be a principle and becomes an obstacle.