Comment by derbOac

That's a good point, although I think it depends on how you define "power". I think in a lot of ethical discourse, power is defined more broadly in terms of who has more leverage in a situation. It doesn't have to correspond to a political position or position of physical authority necessarily.

In the US at least I think the power distinction is dangerously becoming lost. Traditionally, there was a trade that was made for power: you have more power, you give up privacy to maintain transparency, and you are held to a higher standard. Frequently it seems arguments are made that people in power should enjoy the same standards as others with less power, which was not part of the trade.

I agree with you that there is an importance of cultural norms at every level, but I do think power matters, as it is key to understanding conflicts of interest and permeates every level of society.