[Angus]

The reaction of the public to these necessary cuts puts me in mind of a book I once read by C.P.Snow in which he put forward the hypothesis that human beings are basically just savages who operate on self interest - they merely assume a veneer of civilised and social behaviour to conceal their true selves - a "Coat of Varnish". In reality everybody is really just out for themselves and will always follow the most expedient and self aggrandising route and sod the consequences for anyone else.

Perhaps he was on to something, which is a pretty bleak thought.