An explanation is not an excuse, and I'm not applying it to ourselves or potentially decent people. My point is that there is nothing that will turn the corrupt from their ways. They are indifferent to final consequences. They are indifferent to self-awareness. They are indifferent to good or evil.

It is true that we have behaved as idiot cattle, but whose fault is that? I largely agree with your concluding paragraph. There is a lot of make-believe going on.