Further to my thought-provoking post on the corruption index in Europe, http://capeldunn.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-europe-doomed.html
the question arises: how to explain the difference in levels of corruption between northern and southern Europe?
At first sight, the answer would be that Catholics (who predominate in the south) are more corrupt than their protestant neighbours in the north. But one only has to look at the long line of popes to see that this is not true.
I personally think the reason is to be found in the corrupting influence of wine compared to beer. Wine drinkers, it has been revealed in a well-funded study, are less likely to pay their income tax than beer swillers. Another study has pointed to the pernicious influence of olive oil on standards of morality.
So I think that the situation would change radically if, for example, priests in Sicily could be induced to eat sauerkraut.
the question arises: how to explain the difference in levels of corruption between northern and southern Europe?
At first sight, the answer would be that Catholics (who predominate in the south) are more corrupt than their protestant neighbours in the north. But one only has to look at the long line of popes to see that this is not true.
I personally think the reason is to be found in the corrupting influence of wine compared to beer. Wine drinkers, it has been revealed in a well-funded study, are less likely to pay their income tax than beer swillers. Another study has pointed to the pernicious influence of olive oil on standards of morality.
So I think that the situation would change radically if, for example, priests in Sicily could be induced to eat sauerkraut.
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