Corruption, Betrayal, and Injustice Perpetrated by Weak Leaders as a Root Cause of the Rise in Chronic Illness

Accountability Criteria via The Seven Principles of Public Life

One of my major areas of interest is how the current configuration of Modern Life, and the direction of travel of Western “Culture”, feed into widespread suffering, and hence contribute to root causes of chronic illnesses. Indeed, I believe one of the major contributing factors in the rise of chronic conditions is the evermore overt and apparent corruption, dishonesty, untrustworthiness, and duplicity of the low-quality elites and weak leaders that currently infest Western society.

I come to this conclusion since even witnessing serious unfairness, injustice, double-crossing, or betrayal perpetrated on others in our “tribe”, let alone being personally on the receiving end of this, tends to put us into defensive Nervous System states. When we are witnessing or receiving this all the time from our own leaders, and seeing the ever present corruption all around us, this in turn tends to drive us into states of chronic, or perpetual, fear, anger, resentment, and rage.

The very important thing to recall here is that whenever we are in such defensive Nervous System states, our bodies and brains cannot detoxify, address inflammation, heal, rejuvenate, regenerate, or restore. So being chronically stressed, and unable to relax, is necessarily poisonous to our biology. This is why I strongly believe that chronic stress, and being stuck in those defensive Nervous System states, is the ultimate root cause of the vast majority of chronic illnesses.

In this way, we can draw a straight line between the ever more overt corruption of weak leaders, and the rise in chronic conditions: through flagrant corruption, double standards, and self-aggrandisement, weak leaders cause perpetual triggering of defensive Nervous System states in the people they are supposed to serve and protect; this results in us inhabiting chronic negative emotional states; in turn resulting in ever increasing inflammation and toxification of our bodies and brains; eventually resulting in a chronic illness. So I do feel we can say that corrupt leaders are literally toxic for us.

This isn't about left or right, or conservative or labour, or republicans or democrats, it is not even just about political leaders, but is also true for all the other elite positions too, such as CEOs, academics, teachers, doctors, judges, police, and so forth.

In a way, it is the culture itself which has become corrupted, because it has become more and more tolerant of corruption, and of weak leaders. Have you noticed that the low quality elites have no shame these days, and when caught out in wrongdoings which would have once resulted in instance resignation, they just ride it out, or laugh it off… and they frequently get away with it?

I often say in my social commentary type articles that we have to stop voting and electing, putting money in the pocket, or otherwise supporting and enabling such clearly traumatized and traumatizing people getting into seats of power.

The problem is, where are the written standards by which we can hold weak leaders to account, the terms of reference to call them out on? How do we agree among ourselves what corruption looks like, and qualify when our low quality elites are not working in our interests?

I watched a video yesterday, covering the “Seven Principles of Public Life”, which at least provides a starting point for a framework for this accountability. Quoted below is the UK Government’s page on this.

1. The Seven Principles of Public Life

“The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.”

1.1 Selflessness

“Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.”

1.2 Integrity

“Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.”

1.3 Objectivity

“Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.”

1.4 Accountability

“Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.”

1.5 Openness

“Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.”

1.6 Honesty

“Holders of public office should be truthful.”

1.7 Leadership

“Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.”

Although the UK Government webpage is keen to stress this is merely “guidance”, and hence we probably can’t use it in a court of law, I feel it at least gives us a tool to begin to discuss the weakness of our leaders among ourselves, to point out to each other the ways in which they are failing us. It provides us with specific standards to hold them accountable to, and a way to qualify our dissatisfaction. In short, I think it gives us at least something to build on.

My online course goes much deeper into these defensive Nervous System states, their ramifications for our health and wellbeing, and how to help ourselves.