Arief Budiman's bad guys

I find Arief Budiman's question: "Why should bad guys always win?" (The Jakarta Post, May 20) rather naive. As a wise (Arief) thinker he must know the world has always been like this. It is true, however, that we may have lately hit an unprecedented historical high of bad guys.

There is a Dutch proverb "De brutalen hebben de halve wereld" (the insolent/impudent/cheeky own half the world). It may mean that if you have few scruples, you have a head start on your fellow earthlings in achieving success.

The English equivalent of the proverb is only approximate. "Fortune favors the bold" is a possibility, though I fear it may encourage the bold and unscrupulous to believe in their luck.

S. HARMONO

Jakarta