Revenge Politics
The Founders knew this phenomenon well. Tit for tat, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. They knew human nature because they were closer to it than we are in modern society. They had to figure a way to protect humankind from our natural inclinations. They had to figure a way to balance it through laws. Politics at its best is about balance. Politics can be the leveler between our basest instincts and better angels.
The Founders gave us that, a way to make things work in spite of ourselves. All we need is a modern miracle. I’m watching “John Adams” on Amazon. The reason those courageous men were able to pull off their miracle was simple. If they failed, they died by hanging.