" 

  
 ""However, a certain Yankee trait of hypocrisy in the service of hard-nosed business interests was also held in esteem, or at the very least, politely left unacknowledged."" This is A. not a sentance and B. also rather incendary in language. In refrence to this not being a sentance, where is the subject? 'a certain Yankee trait of hypocrisy'? no.  "