> No rules are clear, so that those at the top can dictate whatever they want whenever they want. Which means that the only safe route is to always be on very very good terms with leadership.

Exactly. That’s why dictatorships are so adverse to the rule of law, despite many (notably the macho-nationalist ones) being ostensibly for "law and order".

> Very sad to see the US fall away from the rule of law, into kleptocracy.

Yes, it is sad. It’s Hungary all over again, just with a world-spanning blast radius.