Across Europe, political leaders have lost the trust of their people: The retreat of virtue has become a plague of our times. Greed is legitimate
Lest we forget: As an ancient proverb says 'The fish rots from the head', meaning, that if the servant is disorderly, it is because the master is so; if the citizens are greedy and corrupt, it is because their leaders are so.
“There was a time when to live a life virtuously was well understood. It embraced personal integrity, commitment to a purpose that was higher than personal gain, a degree of selflessness and even modesty. Those at the top may have got there through ruthlessness and ambition, but they understood that to lead was to set an example and that involved demonstrating better qualities than simply looking after yourself.No more. Perhaps the greatest calamity of the conservative counter-revolution has been the energy it invested in arguing that virtue, whatever its private importance, has no public value. The paradox, the new conservatives claim, is only through the pursuit of self-interest can the economy and society work best. Responsibilities to the commonweal are to be avoided.
The retreat of virtue has become the plague of our times. Greed is legitimate; to have riches however obtained, including outrageous bonuses or avoiding tax, is the only game in town. But across the west the consequences are becoming more obvious. Politics, business and finance have become blighted to the point that they are dysfunctional, with a now huge gap in trust between the elite and the people.”
Read more about the greedy, corrupt, selfish, arrogant and pompous leaders in Europe:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/07/new-democracy-of-accountability-needed/print