RIP, Magna Carta (1215-2019): Democracy, It Was Nice to Know You

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament is monumentally historic—something that should deeply concern anyone living in the U.K., but also the U.S.

Constitutions are dying where they once flourished. “Conservative” autocrats are to blame.

The Magna Carta was a political settlement reached in 1215 between King John of England and rebel barons. 
John ruled England as despot. 
Bowing to intense pressure, he agreed to a charter of rights for “the people” (barons): protection of church rights, protection from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limits on feudal payments to the Crown. A council of 25 barons administered the agreement.

America’s governmental institutions draw directly from the Magna Carta. The Massachusetts Bay Company, and Virginia Charter of 1606, specifically drew up the first colonial governments based on the Magna Carta.
When American colonists fought against Britain, they were fighting not so much for new freedom, but to preserve liberties and rights that they believed to be enshrined in Magna Carta.
Our Constitution and Bill of Rights draw directly from portions of this 1215 landmark in the progress of humanity.
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If PM Johnson’s coup against elected government succeeds, how will this affect the United States of America?

For the moment, a 704 year tradition of limiting the power of a king (or prime minister) has been suspended. If we truly love freedom, we should all be worried.