Gretchen Morgenson is one of my favorite commentators—at once witty and pertinent. In case you missed her most recent piece about the current business and financial woes, here’s the link (“They’re Shocked, Shocked, About the Mess”).

These short extracts show why I thought the article so relevant. I’ve been saying for months that the root cause of all our problems has been a long-standing, cynical and systematic abuse of trust by executives and those around them. Morgenson writes:

Still, as the stock market continues to grind lower, something more may be at work. And that something centers on trust and credibility, which have been lacking in corporate and government leadership in recent years.Like the boy who cried wolf, corporate and regulatory officials have issued a lot of hogwash over the years. Until recently, investors were willing to believe it. Now they may not be so easily gulled [. . .] Is it any surprise that virulent mistrust seems to own the markets now?

Trust abused is trust destroyed. Those who should have been stewards of other people’s money became salespeople for wheezes designed to enrich only themselves.

We have to rebuild trust, starting by making sure each of us is trustworthy in whatever we do and say. Never mind pointing the finger at the other guy. Start right where you are. If enough people are willing to do that, there’s still hope something good will come from the mess.

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