I agree, @Jolanta. The problem seems to be the crop of self-serving individuals Americans are allowing into politics. It's not a new reality, but one which is being replicated in many countries around the world. It's the weakness in democracy and one which was identified millennia ago.

@josephr I don’t think the problem is democracy but that they are not held accountable for their actions. If more people would get together and demand it, it would happen

@Jolanta I was listening to a pundit the other day who said that when your founding fathers wrote the constitution, the assumption was that leaders would act honestly and ethically in the best interests of Americans. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, their dream was ahead of it's time since people rarely behave as we would like or often expect. I agree that accountability and responsibility are the problem. But if leaders don't live according to the corresponding value system, than accountability needs to be imposed and enforced.

The threat of impeachment was supposed to motivate honesty and accountability, but it hasn't worked out that way. Just look at the list of those impeached back to 1796. [history.house.gov]

I just hope the current crisis will effect a productive change to accountability enforcement laws. I also agree that people need to signal politicians that they're not happy, and vote them out of office if the politicians don't respond as the public wants.

With an election coming up this year in Canada, we have the Donald Trump look-a-likes/wanna-bes vying for power. We'll see how that goes.

I am also optimistic, @wordywait, hoping that, as you say, the silent American majority still values honesty, respect, and democracy. I also hope that one day soon the orange monster will be just a repugnant memory from which all of us have learned.

Repairing the damage will depend on whether the Trump-phenomenon is ultimately a learning experience for Americans and their societal managers. If it isn't, it will happen again. Societies' disasters are much like our individual failures. Learning is all.

As a non-American with many American friends and family who live in the US, i can't agree with your conclusions, @Sticks48. I believe that the silent majority is as intelligent and and concerned, and just wants to live in peace and prosperity, whatever that looks like to them. Being misinformed is a plague across our planet, but has nothing to do with either intelligence or laziness. In our world in which we're bombarded constantly with misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda, it's very easy to be misguided.

@josephr It is intellectual laziness. Couple that with those who really are stupid, and you get President Trump. Three or four years ago a political pundit said 50% of Americans are stupid, and 50% of the stupid people are even more stupid. Having traveled all over the country and meeting people, I really can't argue with his assessment.

@Sticks48 Firstly, i hate the label "stupid." Too often it is applied to put others down because we can't understand their behaviour, or reject their views of the world. Unfortunately, teachers are often the culprits discouraging their students by using such labels. Is an elephant stupid because she can't understand nuclear physics? We are a very young species when compared to the age of the universe. Humans are still growing towards maturity, which is also not just one thing. Our need to label what we don't understand, or those things and people we reject for whatever reasons is one of humanity's greatest failings, justifying many abuses. .

@josephr I don't care whether you like the word stupid or not. I don't like the words cancer and war, but they exist, and so does stupid. You move to the deep south or southeastern part of this country, then tell me if you think stupid doesn't exist. You have no idea of the number of inbred people there are in this country. Your analogy with elephants is like comparing apples to monkeys. Stupid exists. That is why it is in the dictionary.