People would lie about how many nylon stockings they'd created this week. The people on the line knew it was a lie, but didn't want to be called out for their actions. But if you call it something else, our best guess or what they wanted, then that's more acceptable. They pretend to pay us. Right? So we just kept going.
Leonard Wong of the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about honesty in the military. Based on a recent co-authored paper, Wong argues that the paperwork and training burden on U.S. military officers requires dishonesty--it is simply impossible to comply with all the requirements. This creates a tension for an institution that prides itself on honesty, trust, and integrity. The conversation closes with suggestions for how the military might reform the compliance and requirement process.