Political debate feeds a culture of dependency and entitlement

Whenever a great sports figure retires, as the Limerick rugby giant Paul O’Connell did last week, there are always tributes to their energy and hunger for success, their drive for self-improvement and leadership, and their ruthlessness in terms of getting results and, if necessary, dropping underperformers from the team.

Public figures, business people and politicians laud such figures and their example. It’s about self-empowerment and ambition, they say, and improving your inner drive ...