Mike's Minute: I miss the good old days

I asked Judith Collins yesterday, just what has become of us? 

The “us” I was referring to is this country. But I amended that in my mind yesterday afternoon when I read the first review of Jake Tapper's book on Joe Biden. 

What's become of all of us, is now the question. 

"Biden didn’t recognise George Clooney at a fundraiser", was your headline. 

Tapper is making money out of a book on a subject he should have been all over four years ago, but wasn’t. Most of the American media in particular weren't. 

They knew Biden was what he was, but it didn’t seem to matter then. But now that they can make a buck, it’s a story. 

This was raised at the White House correspondents dinner, so it's not like they aren't aware of how this looks. 

Jacinda Ardern falls into the same category – destroy the country, run away to Boston, write a book and collect the money. 

It's shocking. 

Jannik Sinner, the tennis player in name, and act. He meets the Pope, having cut a deal with the doping authorities not to miss any majors and return to his home tournament a hero. 

And the daddy of them all is the current American President. He offers White House tours and a dinner if you buy his crypto. 

How is this possible? 

He tells you "it’s a good time to buy" before he makes an announcement that he knows will move the markets. No one is seemingly doing anything about it. 

He is about to collect a plane for God's sake! That is quite obviously illegal, and yet, who is it that is going to do something about it? 

Winston Peters had his head in his hands when Brooke let the big word fly, and he lamented the lack of standards. 

All around us are seemingly new norms. 

There are more and more indicators that what was once the right way to go about business now doesn’t matter. 

Punishments that once addressed indiscretions are now laughed at or negotiated away. 

Moral fibre that kept you on the straight and narrow is not just gone, but jettisoned and replaced by contempt and arrogance. 

If the President of America can bribe your crypto purchases, while flying on an illegal plane, former leaders can profit from negligence, and the Fourth Estate can pretend to be unbiased while ignoring the news and then cash in on their ineptitude, is it any wonder more and more of us long for the good old days? 

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