Band of Goodnatured Thieves

Evil always manages to hide itself behind something Good. The ultimate conservative credo (in my opinion) is - The ends DO NOT justify the means. Every person must be principled and follow the rules of common law and morality, even if it appears to him that he could do more "good" by not following the rules. It is more important to not harm others and do evil, than it is to do good and help the needy. A classic example of this is the "noble thief", Robin Hood. He stole from the rich (mostly landlords who collected rent and dues for using their fields) and gave to the poor (the peasants who worked for the landlords and also other simpletons). This is largely how today's average Western-style government functions and justifies its actions. "The rich" are the people who earn money in a free capitalist society. "The poor" are the people who by some misfortune or fault of their own don't earn as much. The government always promises to take some of the successful people's money and distribute it among the poor - after taking a fair provision for its criminal work of course! The government uses the stolen money for "good" causes, i.e. helping the poor and disadvantaged. But the process itself - stealing - is inherently evil. This is why tax-collectors were usually treated as sinners and thieves in ancient and medieval time. They had (and have) no right to the property they were taking, but they took it nonetheless (with the use of force if necessary).

Jesus and Matthew the Evangelist - His Disciple and former Tax-collector. God himself has proven to us that the taxman can be converted onto the right path, why not try to persuade our own taxmen?