UK: 60% of the population admit to criminal behaviour.

Brazil:75% of the population admit to criminal behaviour, and a different 75% tolerate corruption in politics.

So are governments and corporations right to treat their citizens and customers as criminals?

The Brazil article gives some clues:

A columnist in the weekly magazine Veja points to a previous scandal known as Operation Bloodsucker, which involved the purchase of overpriced ambulances.

On the day it was exposed, 48 people were arrested. One year later, Andre Petry points out, no-one is in prison. Of 72 parliamentarians suspected of involvement, none has lost office.

and

“In fact, the bending of laws bears no stigma in the country if it acts as a solution to unfair laws or absurdities of bureaucracy.”

Can you expect people to behave ethically when their elected role models don’t? Can you expect the citizenry to accurately distinguish between laws which carry moral force (”thou shalt not steal”), and those that don’t (”thou shalt not give a pay and display parking ticket with 40 minutes left on it to a little old lady who just pulled up next to your car as you leave”)?