Sir, – To dress up what has happened to this generation of Irish people as the mere "hedonism" and "maturity" of "a tearaway teenager", as Una Mullally has done (Opinion, December 16th), is a grevious understatement. The state of mind behind the self-indulgent, celebrity culture that has us dependent on foreigners to keep the holes-in-the-wall open over the past number of years has much deeper roots in our society than that.
The basic motivating force behind the bankrupting of this country was the self- obsession, self-absorption, self-indulgence and self-aggrandisement of the most powerful and most influential in our society.
The message blasting out of our TV screens and our social media day in day out was one that said the way to get ahead was self-exaltation, destruction of the self-esteem of everyone else in sight and exultation in the difficulties of “whingers” and “losers”.
To add insult to injury the mantra being put out now is that “We are all to blame”. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY LEAVY,
Shielmartin Drive,
Sutton, Dublin 13.