Well okay, fine, but I don't accept the premise of your argument; we don't have a democratic rule of law, we have appointed lawmakers writing laws. They themsel

Well okay, fine, but I don't accept the premise of your argument; we don't have a democratic rule of law, we have appointed lawmakers writing laws. They themselves are elected, sure, but they dramatically and ostentatiously represent their own interests over those of their constituents. They also direct more attentions towards issues which affect them than issues which affect their constituents. That is especially true of Republicans, who can do literally anything and still enjoy substantial support from the people they keep in penurious thrall. But Democrats are then able to do the same thing by simply pointing at that distressing alternative to stay in office, so in reality we just have a bunch of corrupt egoists. And that's where our criminal justice system's laws come from as much as our financial and political ones. A system like that cannot hold moral authority.