Societies are built on trust. The "anything goes" mentality is the core problem with our society. It's not just sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. We live in a world where anyone can get away with anything by using the right spin, and no one bats an eyelash. There are no standards of behavior anymore. Anything goes on Wall Street, the large banks, governments, and business.
Civilization, markets and prosperity are all built on trust, and trust is built is on ethics, values, and standards. When you put your money in a brokers office, you expect that the money will be invested properly, that it won't be spent on the way to the stock exchange or on overleveraged Ponzi-scheme type of investments. There isn't a whole lot of trust out there, and without it, societies can't move forward in a constructive manner.
We're in need of an epochal renewal of standards and values that support the kind of trust that makes civilizations, communities and families work. This process can be quite difficult; it will not happen by waiving a magical wand nor will it ever be perfect. But certainly we can aim for something more sustainable.