Madam, – Garret FitzGerald is probably correct to some extent that the current Irish crisis was brought about by a collapse of values and standards in public office (Opinion, April 16th). But he misses completely the contribution to this collapse of changes in the broader public mindset, especially where the place of economic behaviour in social life is concerned. Prior to 2008, many who are today considered villains were considered heroes whose behaviour was to be emulated. Plausibly, they believed they were heroes, too.
Such hubris is not uncommon. It was fascinating to observe the turmoil of April 15th’s property auctions at the Shelbourne Hotel, and how people came to watch the big spenders, almost as though it was a form of entertainment. Testament to the fact that, like Dr FitzGerald, we still haven’t figured out what really caused the crisis. Its easy to say it’s all down to a few rotten apples (the politicians, the bankers, etc). But clearly Ireland remains enthralled by the hero cult of contemporary capitalism. – Yours, etc,