The Pew Research Center has released “A Barometer of Modern Morals: Sex, Drugs, and the 1040″. Here are the results of a poll of 745 people, with the percentages of people classifying each behavior as morally wrong:
* 85% Married People Having an Affair
* 79% Not Reporting All Income on Taxes
* 61% Drinking Alcohol Excessively
* 52% Having an Abortion
* 50% Smoking Marijuana
* 50% Homosexual Behavior
* 43% Lying to Spare Someone’s Feelings
* 35% Sex Between Unmarried Adults
* 35% Gambling
* 32% Overeating
For a detailed view of the tax question, see here.
This shows more individuals need to read Rothbard.
{ 9 comments }
Why am I not surprised that evangelical Protestant Christians were the worst of the bunch on that question? It often sickens me how lacking in moral fibre that particular segment of the population is. The state is the true god most evangelicals worship. I can say that because I’m one of them (except that I don’t worship the state, obviously).
Fascinating! My observations on the tabulation:
- participants tend to see it either as “not a moral issue” or “morally wrong”
- there is a good trend on age: fewer of the young see it as morally wrong
- there seems to be little educational or income effect
- there is a bad trend on church attendance: more churchgoing = more seeing it as morally wrong
- there is an interesting trend along ideology: fewer liberals see it as morally wrong
- BUT there is no systematic difference among party affiliations
“BUT there is no systematic difference among party affiliations”
However, those with no party affiliation tended to see it as less wrong. Those with strong political agendas have a greater need to lend the state moral support.
There are two questions intermingled in the poll question, so I think the take is wrong unless you sort them out.
1. Is it wrong to obey an unjust law when almost everyone else does and the harm is to the one who obeys, not a 3rd party?
2. Is the tax law just or unjust?
For me, the US tax law after the early 1800s was oppressive and unjust, and it was probably before that too, so on #2 I consider it greatly unjust.
But on the first issue:
I think the reason that it gets high numbers is that it is like when there is a fight with another group, and instead of taking them on, I push you in front of me, and use you and the rest of my group as human shields.
They are smart enough to realize that taxes provide benefits (even if you don’t want or use them), and that if you pay less, they are forced to pay more.
If we are both in prison unjustly or for political reasons, you may attempt to escape, but things will be unpleasant for me and the other prisoners when your attempt (successful or otherwise) is discovered.
Your cheating on your taxes doesn’t steal from government as much as it steals from the others who don’t cheat. And it is to your benefit, not like some act of civil disobedience – the question was not asked about someone who correctly reported income but refused to pay (e.g. because the war, or abortion was funded).
They only see stealth and selfishness in the act. Nothing noble. The soldier that hides behind trees in the battle. Not someone who boldly protests injustice.
I’ve read a lot of Rothbard. I know he hates taxation, but I find nothing which would directly encourage people to be ignoble cheaters for personal gain.
tz said,
“Your cheating on your taxes doesn’t steal from government as much as it steals from the others who don’t cheat”
This is making the false presumption that the government isn’t already doing the most they can to extract the maximum revenue from every individual. The fact that so many feel like others not paying taxes will hurt them, is probably an indication that they are being suverely overtaxed and are desperate not to suffer any more.
Another thing is that being stealth is not “selfish”. Harriet Tubman was not selfish for forming the underground railroad “stealthing” arround other peoples backs freeing slaves, rather she was a hero. The stealth authors of many of the federalist papers were not cowards, but heros. The “stealh” behavior of bootlegers during alchol prohibition – to the extent they were selfish, those who govern were 10 times so.
But then again, if you have read a lot of Rothbard, you already know all this. So do you just selfishly want things coerced at every one elsese expense are are selfishly jurking people arround to try and get it?
No wonder I didn’t see hypocrisy on the list.
Half the U.S economy is sub rosa. If 85% think tax cheating is sinful then do we conclude that the remaining 15% control half the economy?
The poll does not ask whether the reason for finding cheating on your taxes immoral is because (1) you think not paying taxes is immoral, or (2) intentionally putting you and your family at risk for tax evasion charges is immoral. Perhaps fear is the guiding motivator.
Speaking of “soldiers hiding behind trees” (as if it’s a good idea to stand up and make a target of yourself!!), are you guys aware of this case? RAF officer court-martialled for refusing to return to Iraq on the basis that the war is illegal. (Good for him, but there’s no way the court is going to listen, of course…)
Comments on this entry are closed.