Do we like it when the Bad Guys win?

by admin

I tend to believe the notion of ying and yang: that for every good person there is a little bad and for every bad person there is a little good. It struck me this week watching the hoopla of Mr Ahern once again at the Mahon Tribunal that we sometimes like to see the bad guy winning.

I can’t prove that Bertie Ahern is a bad guy at all and I do not want to. His failings as a leader of the country aside, I think he has an incredible presence and charisma and most importantly the common touch. That is the only reason I can see for the cheers that he received before, during and after the tribunal.

‘Sticking it to the man’ is usually the phrase used when describing who can challenge authority, those that we feel look down upon us and try to break wills and spirits. It could be true but at the same time I’m not sure modern Ireland will look or care long enough to notice what the ‘man’ is doing right now and if ‘he” is suppressing their ideals and values.

There is a distinct lack of respect for any kind of authority now and that’s why I was so surprised to hear those cheers for Mr Ahern. It’s almost like people have sympathy for those who try and bend, or break, the rules. Cries of “Ah maybe they’re not that bad” can be heard as excuses to cover a lot of some people’s activities.

I understand that at the end of it all that it is all about forgiveness and by all means you should forgive someone, not necessarily forget. However must there not be some punishment for actions that are conceived to be outside the law and our morals? In an ideal world this would be the case but I find it more and more difficult to see where this ideal will spring up.

I don’t think society is all bad but at the same time we have let a number of standards slip and we tolerate more then we have to, in my opinion. Maybe it is the age of the “bad guys” winning…I hope not.

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 and is filed under Thoughts & Questions, Views on News.