paedophilia in the United States where bail (ignoring whether it can be posted or not) is granted. Jerry Sandusky was out on bail pending his trial (and google it, you'll see just how accountable the powerful were in his case). The crime really needs to be heinous in order for no bail to be set. It may be set at a very high level (say, a half million in the case of former wrestler Buck Zumhofe) but that's entirely my point...if you're extremely wealthy, a half million is a trifle. If you're not, not so much.

And, if you are European and a famous film director, you can count on dozens of member of the french cultural and political elite to have your back.

As for whether or not we live in an accountability free era, I have to wonder if we live in the same society. The one I live in has elites virtually everywhere being wrong about everything. Economics, fiscal and monetary policy, fear of inflation, fear of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, the sovereign debt crisis is due to state over-spending, I could go on. And all of the powerful people, in the media, in government, at the heads of banks (which nearly destroyed us all, not that that will mean jail time for any of them outside of Iceland)...are still where they always were, in positions of power, with no accountability. Can you name me one significant figure of the elite who has paid the price for being so wrong over the past 12 years?

Your own country is going to re-elect a powerful person with 70+% approval ratings who has been wrong about most all of what ails Europe today and you are going to ridicule my assertion that we live in an accountability-free world? (And not coincidentally, when the accountability-free generation has been in their prime...)

I think that's a bit rich.
 

The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet. Winston Churchill