Whatever Happened to Shame and Guilt?

[babylonsister]

Whatever Happened to Shame and Guilt?
by Olga Bonfiglio

Once again we have been treated to yet more failures of leadership. Last week it was Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles. Instead of testifying in court over his priest-child-abusers, the Cardinal arranged for a $660 million payout to the victims. He then made his apologies and closed the case.

This week we see Attorney General Alberto Gonzales tripping over his own lies as he testifies before Congress about the mismanagement of the Justice Department. Then, of course, as his approval ratings decline, President Bush has again resorted to reminding us that we are a nation under the terrorists’ threat. In Tuesday’s speech he used the words “Al Qeada” 95 times as he tried to connect A.Q. to Iraq and September 11. Good God, how much more of this charade must we take?

Meanwhile, CEOs continue to sell off more American jobs to the lowest overseas bidders, wreak havoc on the local communities that depend on these jobs and then they are rewarded for cutting costs and creating greater profits. Afterward, many of these geniuses are curiously let go with multi-million-dollar parachutes.

Be it religion, politics, or business, our leaders have evolved into a bunch of brutish, violent, aggressive, all-knowing, all-controlling hooligans and this brand of arrogant, unabashed leadership is totally unacceptable. “We, the People” get nothing out of it, so “We, the People” we must put a stop to it!

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/27/2796/

[BOSSHOG]

1. Shame and guilt are not valued by conservatives

Full steam ahead, never apologize for anything and do your damndest never to be held accountable for anything or by anybody. Now those are conservative values. Oh, and say "I take full responsibility" every now and then.

[zonmoy]

10. they value it for its ability to manipulate and control the worshipers

of evil gods and the poor.

[sagetea]

2. You have to have a soul

to have either or both...

[babylonsister]

5. Good point; that is certainly lacking. And welcome to DU!

:hi:

[KoKo]

11. Great observation....the truth of it..... Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[acmavm]

3. Somehow it went away. Started during the 90s with the me-me-me

whatever makes you feel good about yourself generation and just escalated from there.

Of course the 80s had disco and that caused a lot of brain damage so it became easy to swallow that pop psychology rot in the 90s.

[dollie300]

4. No, it started in the 80's with Ronal Reagan chastizing Carter

about asking Americans to sacrifice and conserve. Ever since then it's been all about ME and the bottom line for corporations. I will never forget that debate between Anderson, Carter, and Reagan. That was the beginning of the end for justice-seeking, compassionate America. Anderson was right about imposing a fifty-cent gasoline tax then. If we had done it then, things might be a lot different now. But the RW-conservative dingbats who believe that all taxation except for the military is a bad thing for America (really meaning the very wealthy) had control of the hearts and minds of the sheeple, as they do now.

[Skittles]

6. THANK YOU

the ME ME ME shit absolutely started with REAGAN

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Absolutely. The Reagan wing of the party recast selfishness as rugged individualism ...

our most cherished American myth/lie.

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[Warren Stupidity]

7. k&r

Somebody else wondering where the outrage is.

[ananda]

8. To my knowledge..

.. pampered, spoiled, sociopaths don't feel shame or guilt..

.. nor do corporations which do not have feelings.