The last two decades have been the champagne era for dirty lucre.

His sons didn't walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre but patient, not a brawler, not covetous

Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre

And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind

The Chinese state probably hasn t sat on so much lucre since the halcyon days of the Qing Empire, when insatiable European demand for porcelain, tea and silk flooded the central coffers in Beijing with silver bullion.