Do you think you’re being tricked into spending more for the same items at the grocery store? Sometimes it’s “shrink-flation” Bigger cereal boxes with less inside them? Have you noticed an increase in deceptive advertising or marketing?. More scams coming to your email? Over all, have you noticed that more conmen and even well-established businesses are trying to cheat you?

If so, you’re not alone…. and it’s not your imagination or paranoia. It’s happening because unethical behavior throughout the economy and the society at large has been”normalized”, and it’s coming from the top, from the White House. Why should you put yourself at a disadvantage by behaving ethically, when unethical behavior is so richly rewarded? It seems there is no down- side to behaving badly. In fact, since Trump took office, it’s celebrated.

The current occupant of the White House earned his millions (perhaps even billions) through questionable business tactics, including over-starting the value of his assets when he wanted to inflate their worth and under-stating their value when subject to taxation. His business prowess seemed based on bullying, intimidation and exuberant willingness to bend or break the rules. If high officials are not held accountable for serious breaches of ethics,, why should anyone else, especially if the local businessman or government official’s trespassing is so minor in comparison? It’s as though the rich and powerful expect to to get away with any infraction just because they are rich and powerful. Publicly at least, no president since ‘Richard Nixon has dared claim to be above the law. Recall that Nixon, disgraced and removed from office through impeachment, in 1977 asserted that despite perceptions of illegality, “if the president does it, that means that it’s not illegal.” Trump elevated that impunity principle to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that actions which might otherwise be illegal are not when carried out as presumed presidential powers.

Similarly it is asserted that powers detailed in the U.S. Constitution can be grabbed by the president seeking unlimited power. Clearly Congress was given the power to levy federal taxes and appropriate them for specific spending. Yet Trump has repeatedly tried to take that power himself, even to pull back funds already appropriated.

If a president is not be bound by clear provisions the U.S. Constitution, why would that president feel bound to behave ethically? And once that precedent is set and reiterated, why should any American citizens feel bound?