OUR BAIT AND SWITCH SOCIETY

Bait and Switch: The Normalized Moral Decay of America

One of the most insidious contributors to America's moral decay is the normalization of bait and switch, a tactic once condemned as fraudulent but now widely accepted as business as usual. This practice is so embedded in American society that it has become part of the national character, a quiet but devastating erosion of trust, honesty, and integrity.

In every sphere, politics, business, professional services, media, and even personal relationships, we are bombarded with promises never meant to be kept. We are sold hope, excellence, prosperity, truth, and service only to receive mediocrity, exploitation, deceit, and betrayal.

Bait and Switch as the New American Norm

Once upon a time, promising more and delivering less was a mark of dishonor, grounds for dismissal in public office, or disgrace in professional life. Today, it is expected. The American people, conditioned by decades of broken promises, have come to accept this behavior as part of the price of engaging with institutions, government, corporations, and even professions once regarded as noble, like law, medicine, and education.

Politicians run on platforms they never intend to honor, spinning grandiose visions for votes, only to cave to special interests or pursue personal enrichment once elected. Corporations lure consumers with promises of quality, reliability, and fairness,  only to deliver inferior products, poor service, and exploitative contracts buried in the fine print. Professionals advertise expertise and commitment but often see clients as just billing opportunities.

The bait is the promise; the switch is the betrayal.

Donald Trump: The Master of the Bait and Switch

No one personifies this decline more than Donald Trump. He rose to power on a torrent of promises: "Only I can fix it," "I will drain the swamp," "I will build the wall, and Mexico will pay for it," "I will protect Social Security and Medicare," and "I will represent the forgotten man and woman."

None of it was real.

Instead, Trump used the office to enrich himself, cutting taxes for billionaires, eroding protections for ordinary citizens, and deepening the very swamp he promised to drain. His wall was never fully built, and Mexico certainly didn't pay for it. Social Security and Medicare were targeted for cuts, and the "forgotten" Americans were left more divided, more angry, and more disillusioned than ever before.

Yet even as the broken promises pile up, Trump remains a hero to many, a testament to how deeply the bait-and-switch culture has corroded American moral expectations. People no longer expect promises to be kept. They admire those who get away with deception, mistaking con artistry for strength.

A Society Without a Moral Compass

What does it say about a nation when lying is strategy, cheating is savvy, and betrayal is shrugged off as politics?

It says that we are a morally bankrupt society, a nation that has lost its compass, unable to distinguish right from wrong because it is no longer profitable or convenient.

The normalization of bait and switch is not just about broken deals. It is about the collapse of trust, the death of integrity, and the failure of leadership at every level. It poisons public life, breaks the social contract, and fosters cynicism that eats away at democracy.

The Cost to Democracy and Society

A society that cannot trust its leaders, its businesses, or its institutions cannot function effectively. Democracy depends on good faith, some basic level of honesty, and respect for the public. When every promise is a lie, when every deal is a trap, and when every leader is a fraud, the whole structure begins to crumble.

What is left is anarchy in suits and ties, where only the ruthless thrive, and everyone else is a mark.

The Way Back: Restoring Moral Integrity

If America is to survive and thrive, it must reject the bait-and-switch culture and demand honesty and integrity from its leaders, its businesses, and its citizens.

• In politics, we must hold leaders accountable for their promises and vote out those who betray public trust.
• In business, we must support companies that practice fairness and integrity and call out those who exploit consumers.
• In our personal and professional lives, we must model the behavior we want to see, refusing to engage in deceit or tolerate it from others.

Moral integrity must once again become the standard, not the exception.

Conclusion: America Must Reclaim Its Soul

America cannot be great, or even good if it remains a bait-and-switch society. A nation built on lies, empty promises, and betrayal will collapse under the weight of its own fraudulence.

To reclaim our moral standing, we must reject the deceivers, demand truth, and hold fast to honesty, integrity, and respect for others.

Only then can we begin to heal the deep wounds of moral decay and restore faith in the American dream.

William James Spriggs