Madam, - Congratulations to Fintan O'Toole (Opinion, April 12th) for effectively debunking the myth that Ireland is somehow a less moral place than it was in the relatively recent past.
Cynicism and greed have always been a part of Irish (and human) society. That we have a more open and questioning attitude to our moral guardians perhaps makes our human weaknesses more obvious. What has happened in the past two decades is that we know more about the transgressions around us, not that these transgressions have become more common. That in itself is an improvement, a sign of a maturity and openness that helps us to identify and combat social problems more effectively. We can no longer ignore evil by pretending that it doesn't exist.
That we earn and spend more is simply the result of us being wealthier, not of being greedier. That wealth has indeed brought problems, but none powerful enough to alter our basic human nature. Recent social changes have not killed off the island of saints and scholars; they have led us to discover that it never existed.
In the end, the myth that Ireland is somehow a less moral society than in the past is itself the product of another human imperfection - our powerful weakness for illusory nostalgic yearnings. - Yours, etc.,
JAIME HYLAND, Berlin, Germany.