Most people hate flying. What’s to like? It’s a day-long gauntlet of tedious security screenings, overpriced microwavable meals and constant waiting. First, you wait to get your tickets. Then, you wait to get on the plane. Next, you wait for the plane to get onto a runway – unless Harrison Ford comes ploughing into your economy grade seat on his private plane. That ends your wait pretty quickly.

It would be funny if it wasn’t true, but as of this morning, Han Solo is now being investigated for narrowly missing crashing his private plane into a crowded passenger jet because he accidentally touched down on the wrong airport strip. That near miss might appear to be the simple result of a harmless, momentary lapse in judgement – but it still faces serious investigation by the authorities.

Donald Trump, however? He’s done his fair share of endangering Americans during his short term in office with his steamroller approach to diplomacy and his tweets about “trade wars” with China (not to mention his apparently laissez-faire attitude toward the use of nuclear weapons), but the laws of the land aren’t interested.

So if you zoom out for a bit of context, Harrison Ford and his close call actually fit snugly in to this odd sort of amoebic collage that has totally eclipsed and replaced America’s collective sense of responsibility and moral integrity.

America has always styled itself as the world’s leading source of moral fibre. It’s the place where modern democracy was perfected, prejudice is seemingly unwelcome and the personal freedoms of any and all are quite literally enshrined in stone.

Harrison Ford battered but OK after LA plane crash

At least that’s how it looks if you’re already living the lush life on top of that particular ivory tower. But from where everyone else on the planet is sitting, it’s become increasingly clear that America is in the early throes of a phenomenally erratic quarter-life crisis.

The country has become so polarised that any sense of collective identity has all but dissipated – and our sterling moral compass appears to have been tossed out the window with it.

There were plenty of early warning signs. Over the course of the last year, Americans have endured mass rejections of their civil rights, seen centuries-old treaties torn in half in the name of profit, suffered further industrial decline and witnessed the country’s most horrific mass shooting in history.

Now, a lot of nations would react to that sort of trauma with a series of swift, decisive actions designed to get everybody back on track and re-establish some sort of moral equilibrium. But over in America, defining trials and tribulations are being met with nothing but unabashed apathy. As a country, we just don’t seem to know or care where we’re heading as a collective unit. Pair that with misplaced middle class anger and a healthy dose of white privilege we all like to pretend doesn’t exist, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

That’s why a significant minority of voters elected an orange bigot who grabs women “by the pussy” to sit in the Oval Office, and it’s also why Republicans refuse to investigate Donald Trump’s alleged links to the Russian state.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

It’s why nobody seems to care that government agencies tasked with our protection have been commanded to go silent, and why a woman who believes guns should be tossed in rooms with children in order to prevent bear attacks has been handed the keys to America’s education system.

People are mad, and a slim majority of Americans don’t like what’s been happening – yet for whatever reason, our premier coping mechanism has become a constant refrain of “who cares?”

We’re all dealing with these feelings in different ways. We complain about Donald Trump’s bigotry in passing like the British moan about the weather. We share political satire and SNL clips on social media, and then toast to a job well done. Others take their private planes for a ride and, when landing in the wrong place, end up getting investigated – while the President goes scot-free.

Look at it any way you want, but America is at a crucial junction in its history. We’re in the middle of a frightening sociological transformation, and nobody seems to know how to react or what to do about it. There’s no rhyme or reason to it – this is just the way cookies crumble.