Our Ethics have changed.  These are the standards of conduct we set as a requirement for social interactions.

The election of Trump and the subsequent tolerance of his lies, bullying and profiteering, represents a change in the standards of conduct for leaders.

Too many in the US have decided that they no longer require their leaders to tell the truth, to treat others with respect or to follow laws and regulations intended to keep political figures from personally profiting from political office.

Why?  Because the person elected promised to provide some compensation in exchange for tolerating previously unacceptable behavior.

“What’s in it for me?” is our new test of ethics.

Promise to return the pre-Digital Industrial Revolution jobs and you can do or say what you will.

Promise to take away / lower the taxes on the top 1%, and you can continue to lie.

Ethics don’t matter.  And those that still think they should need to ‘get over it’.

You cannot claim to have ethics (standards of conduct) if there is no consequence for acting in conflict with your ethical stand.

I want to believe that ‘The Resistance’ is trying to change this.  But I just witnessed one if the key leaders – Bernie Sanders – tell women that they should not expect to be able to demand that the elected officials we endorse align with our ethical stand.

I watch the media, including social media, and pundits focus on the actions of the president but let the leaders who have chosen not to pursue ethical violations off the hook.

Can you have ethics if there is no consequence?

This is the lesson of Nazi Germany – the slippery slope of eroding ethics.

When will we learn?

We are what we tolerate.

We have many options to show up and reclaim the principles and freedom that are supposed to be our foundation.  We have a chance to raise the bar for holding political office.

But will we?