| #2 Americans politically redefine "morality" and "ethics". "Ethics" are seen as a politician obeying the law, and creating and enforcing laws based upon what society wants, within the self-imposed limits of the Constitution. Ethics is an objective thing. "Morality", however, is seen as subjective ethics, varying between religions, sects and philosophical belief systems. For this reason, Americans tend to be distrustful of those politicians who run on "morality" issues. What exactly do they represent? A secular, modernist, even agnostic belief system; a harsh, fundamentalist theocratic order; someone comfortably orthodox but agreeable with the coexistence of religion and government; or an atheist-Marxist, prudish and fanatical? Each of these can claim "morality", after a fashion, and with greater or lesser honesty; but if they claim to be "ethical", and are not accused of crimes or arrested, the assumption is that they *are* "ethical". |