WHY IS INTEGRITY NOW SUCH A RARE “COMMODITY”?

One of the sad facts of life since greed and avarice has become the measuring rod for success, is integrity now plays a very minor role in human behavior. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about poverty stricken countries such as Zimbabwe, emerging economic powers like Russia, China and India or the power houses such as the United States, integrity and simply doing the right thing is no longer part of every day living. How sad it is that so many Army officers handed the job of looking after the “reconstruction” of Iraq and paying contractors are now facing prosecution over thieving our tax dollars. What in the hell has happened for this to take place? Once upon a time from the ranks to the leaders of the military we could rely upon them, no matter what party was in power, to serve our country with integrity, dignity and above all, honor. Maybe it has something to do with how “government” has been portrayed since the Reagan days, by those libertarian Republicans, led by fools such as Gingrich. For the past twenty-five years we have been brainwashed into believing that less government is better, we pay too much tax and deregulation will allow competition to find the right levels in our society. Government has simply become fair game for those with the opportunity to steal from it with absolute impunity. In fact starting with the “pork barreling” inside congress, bad behavior, corruption and dishonesty has actually been rewarded.

I will never forget a “Sixty Minutes” program several years ago on tertiary education. One of the most startling statistics was that 70% of the students surveyed admitted to rampant cheating. One Stanford student justified it by stating, “I need to obtain “A’s” through to graduation to make sure I can embark upon a career as a successful investment banker. In that job, I will be involved in lying and cheating, so what’s the big deal? I am just getting some job training while on campus!” It is common knowledge that universities turn a blind eye to plagiarism and outright cheating because like the students, themselves, their academic ranking is almost as important to them as an “A” pass is to a student. We have lost the value system built up over centuries from our Judeo-Christian principles.

So here we are now in the middle of the worst recession since the great Depression and the government is printing currency in the $trillions in order to kick start the economy for the benefit of a nation dominated by cheaters and liars. Talk is strong on the impending bankruptcy of General Motors, which will directly affect millions of workers. Part of me can’t help but think of that famous Wall Street statement of decades ago, “What is good for General Motors is good for America.” If G.M. is allowed to fail because of a few $billion, then what in the hell are we doing propping up the banks? Sure G.M. may have under-estimated the effects of how their foreign rivals to gain market share were able to dump cheap cars into American market and how slow they were to react, but the last thing (unlike the banks) that could be said of G.M. is that they fleeced America for personal financial gain. Sorry President Obama, I am most unhappy how so quickly you followed up on George Dubya, to protect the cheaters, liars and stealers at the expense of what is left of Middle America. Your stimulus programs will only become a reservoir for the assholes of America (the financial institutions) to capitalize on in order for the Forbes rich list of this country to become larger and the middle class even smaller and definitely poorer. If G.M. goes broke, then do the right thing, nationalize the banking system, including Goldman Sachs and immediately prosecute and take away the ill gotten gains from the cheats and liars. Bernie Madoff is the tip of the iceberg. We were supposedly able to rid America of the Mafia, why not do the same with the dirt bags on Wall Street.

Once we have cleaned out the scourge which has enveloped American society, we could find that goodness, decency and above all integrity may start to be rewarded and that good government is duly recognized and appreciated by all citizens. That is my dream, but right now I am just a wishful thinker.

Tags: 60 Minutes, China, Gingrich, GM, India, Iraq, Obama, Reagan, Republicans, Russia, USA, W., Zimbabwe