Christianity has imbued us with quick acceptance of the idea that Mercy is an unalloyed virtue; that it is always good to show mercy. In the Old Testament, however, the countervailing virtue of Justice is more prominent. God was not kind to Job, but in the end showed justice in rewarding Job's steadfastness. Time and again, an individual or a people would sin and be punished by God. The Jewish people today carry on this tradition in their year-end custom of paying off debts and atoning for suffering one has caused.
The New Testament turned this around with the concept that anything could be forgiven if one would only believe in Christ. Jesus forgave prostitutes and thieves. He preached that one should love one's enemies, not punish them for their transgressions. One should show mercy. And what about those who never need to be shown mercy - the prideful, rich and powerful? Why, they are damned, and so require God's mercy after all. So everyone requires mercy; everyone is a victim. This would be a terrible situation were it not for the fortunate presence of Jesus and his priests ("The Saviors").
From the above we see that a problem with Mercy is that one can display it only in a world where people are downtrodden. A leader driven by the desire to show mercy thus has to make everyone dependent on him so that he can parcel out favors. Like Jesus, he comes to view others as wayward sheep who don't know what is good for them. Such a leader would hate a world where people were able to take care of themselves.
If this is how striving to be merciful affects leaders, how then does the concept of Mercy affect ordinary people? When people are enjoined to suspend judgment, to avoid holding others responsible for what they do or who they have become, how does this affect the quality of life? If a thief is excused for stealing, is he likely to steal less? The concept of Mercy has led to the decline of real virtues and made the world a poorer, more dangerous place.
What we need is a world where people can take care of themselves and each is held accountable for his own acts. In such a world, Mercy is an anachronism