Man, the losers, were always awed by their captors. They would try to emulate and assimilate the cultures of their new found victors as their own. That would explain why we speak English and not don our sarongs to work.
So what I am saying is...Everyone is a role model either directly or indirectly to his subordinates. A child, no matter how much he despises his parents, will eventually pick up the subtle cues from the elders. So goes to the common man in the streets. His priorities are set according what he sees from his leaders and people in power. In the modern age of ICT and TV, pop and movie stars fill in the gap as well.
If the idols display traits that seem to glorify wealth, prosperity and the good life without hard work, that it would be. Money becomes the aim in life. If stars can be okay with shameless lifestyles and call it living the life, so be it too. Like in the case of the broken window theory, when the lethargy of enforcing law and order is the rule of the law, noble attributes that differentiate man and animal takes a back seat.That my friend is the real reason why the young 12 year-olds need to re-sit their public examination papers. The people entrusted with the duty to maintain the cold chain of secrets had failed repeatedly because they fail to appreciate the need to maintain integrity in their line of work. Guess they have all their priorities twisted....
