In this TIME essay, Elliot Ackerman examines how American exceptionalism can prevent the United States from recognizing the warning signs of political violence, democratic instability, and institutional collapse.
The Illusion of Immunity
Ackerman begins with memories of playing chess against Lieutenant Colonel Jabbar of the Afghan Commandos. The surprise others expressed when Jabbar won becomes a metaphor for a broader national bias: the assumption that dysfunction, unrest, and civil conflict happen elsewhere, but not in the United States.
Lessons from Afghanistan and Syria
Drawing on his military service in Afghanistan and later reporting from Syria, Ackerman traces how peaceful political disputes can escalate when institutions lose legitimacy and military forces become involved. He warns that democratic breakdown often begins gradually, long before a society recognizes the danger.
The Military and a Disputed Election
The essay considers the consequences of involving the armed forces in election-related unrest. If military commanders receive questionable orders while the legitimacy of political leadership is contested, the traditional boundaries between civilian authority, constitutional duty, and military power could begin to fracture.
A Dangerous Game
Ackerman argues that no democracy can endure without confidence in the peaceful transfer of power. America’s greatest risk may not come from an outside adversary, but from overconfidence, polarization, and the belief that the country is immune to the failures it has witnessed abroad.