Compromising Beliefs for Profit

“Is it hypocrisy to be for small limited government and low taxes yet make your money off of the government?” was the question posed to me by my instructor at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu School in Columbia Maryland were I train. He added, “What do you think about people who compromise their beliefs to make money?”

We were speaking to a mutual friend of ours who is a criminal defense attorney and happens to be for limited government. The argument was that if the government was restricted and people were freer then he would have much less work and make less money. So therefore he profited from large government.

I’m not so sure that necessarily agree with this logic. First of all there is a big difference between being for limited government and being an Anarchist. There will always be a need for his services. With that said, lets say he would not be needed (or needed much less) in a free society. The fact of the matter is that we do already live with a very large overbearing government. People like our friend are needed to help protect the average man. I think that this is very much so consistent with his beliefs. Sometimes you need to be apart of the system in order to change it or even protect someone from it.

Our friend’s firm has protected people from the most egregious of government abuses. In very recent time it proved in court that a police officer falsified evidence, arrested a man and lied under oath to try to have him convicted for no other reason then she was having a bad day (that officer is now facing charges). Yes he does make money for what he does but is that wrong. Shouldn’t he get paid for not only the time and effort he puts into someone’s case but the time and preparation he has put in to becoming a good attorney.

To put it simply, just because he could make more money with a larger, more intrusive government doesn’t mean that he is hoping for more regulations. The fact that he rails against an overbearing government despite possibly hurting his own pocket says a lot about his character and unwillingness to compromise… unless its just for show… then he would be a douchebag and should go buy a 3 series…hahaha

I don't think too highly of anyone who would take money to do something that was completely against his/her own beliefs.