Podcast #4 - Congnitive Dissonance

From Wikipedia: "In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the excessive mental stress and discomfort[1] experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time. This stress and discomfort may also arise within an individual who holds a belief and performs a contradictory action or reaction."

In this podcast I explore the rampant amount of Cognitive Dissonance in today's world.  The main example I use it the phrase: "taxation in theft".  

If I poke a gun in your ribs, or threaten you with jail, or threaten to take your stuff if you don't give me money to give to the less fortunate - is that stealing?  It certainly is.  

But if I do the same thing and I call myself 'government' and I call the money 'taxes' - well then it's "different".  Different how?  They don't say.  The idea is that stealing is stealing, but when I change the words people are unable to process the information.  Even if I were to suggest NOT paying the IRS what it feels are its due, and the person knows he will go to jail, the point still doesn't get through.  

That is cognitive dissonance.