Let us once more highlight integrity. We all desire to leave a legacy behind, a legacy in which honesty and trust are once more rewarded. For this, we must become individuals of honour who recognise the need to pursue occupations as a public service and not endeavours of personal interest at the expense of others.

Let us build a tradition in which business people with a solid ethical foundation are the norm rather than the exception. Make no mistake, it is our obligation, yours as well as mine, to raise this issue. We must accept this duty and come up with a blueprint for such a change.

Applaud parents and families who provide unconditional love and support while nurturing socially responsible values. Praise educators who expand students’ minds and equip them to think honestly, justly, and critically.

Honour political leaders who rise above self-serving goals and truly serve all people. Admire celebrities and public figures who model humble, admirable behaviour.

In general, people are trustworthy. We trust this fact and act on this trust daily. Every day, you trust that certain things happen. Some of them are so small that you don’t even give them a second thought. Electricity works as promised. Drivers stop when traffic lights turn red. Waiters and chefs serve good food and return the correct change after you pay.

And yet, not all is well, friend. Integrity is eroding in our society because many have chosen to act on the lowest common denominator regarding our values. A slippery slope that will eventually lead to the sacrifice of our freedoms and the erosion of our trust, one compromise at a time.

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government without striving towards an ideal grounded in trust, honour and reciprocity.

If the majority of voters decide tomorrow to vote to only accommodate themselves alone or the ones lacking willingness to exert any effort to lift themselves up from whatever burdens challenge them, eventually, the candidates promising free money, free support and complete understanding for lack of values, dignity and effort will get elected.

The result will always be a democracy that collapses into a dictatorship, in a sequence of events observed throughout history. Nations built through great courage, that thrive in freedom and abundance, neglect the values that created a stable foundation. They fall from abundance into selfishness and complacency, a road that can have only one destination: indifference and eventually dependency.

And make no mistake about it, friend, dependent individuals, without any drive and desire to stand up on their own, will infringe upon the rights of others. Then, legislation rooted in avoiding accountability for our collapsing values will be adopted.

The failure of self-regulation in individuals will eventually lead to a failure of self-regulation at the societal level. Instead of hard-working citizens driven by the well-being of their communities, we will have to deal with deceitful ones willing to live off a government payroll. And when the revenue collected by the government falls short, when the tax corrections will be unable to cope with the costs and the inflation, we will have a big mess.

With each new law trying to patch the wrong wound, we will have even more erosion of trust in others and further restriction of freedom. And without positive and preventative actions at the level of each individual, there is a real potential to move from liberty to subjugation.

In recent years, fear on one side and anger on the other have replaced frustration over this loss of trust. We should not forget that human nature is not perfect, but it is very hard to remember a time, however, when the majority of basic structural institutions in the Western World have been so blindly absorbed in violating the honourable expectations of the people.

Integrity, friend, is not just a theoretical concept that has no practical ramifications in the real world. History reminds us often, if we dare to look not even 100 years in the past, that lapses of integrity are fatal.

Our patience has been tested. Our kindness and compassion have been abused. Concern for integrity and values in our institutions, public and private companies, and media continues to grow. The portrait of our society’s current situation is not great. However, we all, you and I, have a duty to turn our attention to the processes that operate within it. We must correct abuses that arise from failure of self-regulation.

It is our obligation to honour the sweat, blood and tears that built our great nations in the West. We have a great responsibility to preserve these values for succeeding generations.

Are you daring enough to live by a higher standard of integrity, act fairly, and honour reciprocity? Or will you take the path of least resistance – living off others like a parasite while complaining about your “unfair disadvantages”?

Your choice will impact not only you!

If you missed any of the articles in our “Rebuild The West” Series or would like to go back and revisit them, here are the links to all articles:

#1 – Integrity: What The Hell Happened?