Follow the Money?

I've just finished reading David McWilliams latest treatise on the state of the Irish nation - Follow The Money; in analysing the decline of the Celtic Tiger, I think he has has captured the zeitgeist of a country in crisis. In his previous books he has predicted a multitude of predicaments that have combined to create the current mess.

While his current book is at times a 'haha, I told you so' pointed towards the 'establishment', he does once again go further and provide us with his opinions on where we are headed. What McWilliams doesn't always provide us with is perhaps a closer examination or exploration of just why we find ourselves in the position we are in. Yes, he points to causes and reasons for various problems; i.e the ridiculously easy flow of credit that fed the bubbles; but what he hasn't addressed and what interests me is just why, as a nation or people, we allowed this agenda to be set?

Why have we seen outside influences become so pervasive in Ireland? Why has our poltical culture been riddled with corruption, cronyism and incompetence? Why does such a proportion of the population either a) still not believe this to be the case or b) believe it and accept it? Why is there such political apathy amongst our younger generations (generation Y)? Why does there seem to be a collective sense of resignation and cynicism amongst these same generations? Is it justified?