Practically the entire recorded history of the Greek people is one of being occupied and oppressed by foreign powers. A part of pleasure of doing business with these uninvited guests is, of course, paying tribute (read: being taxed). That the Greeks haven't developed an historic love of taxes is hardly surprising. What did they have get out of paying taxes? Nothing. The money went away and never came back. It built lots of palaces and monuments for the overlords, it kept those potentates fat and happy, but there is no real evidence that the Greeks got anything – ever – from being taxed. I mean, what reasonable person wants to pay taxes if you get nothing out of it?
Come to think of it, though, Americans, who have allegedly enjoyed less than 250 years of democratic freedom, only pay taxes when they are threatened enough or forced to and go to great lengths to see that they pay as little as possible. The most recent American grotesquery, the Tea Party, wants to eliminate them altogether. Why? Well, there is the ever-present and very inaccurate big-government argument, but if you ask me why Americans hate taxes, it's because you don't get anything out of them. When we visited my Dad in Western Pennsylvania, he had plenty of stories about all the taxes he got to pay because the governor decided that his corporate buddies and donors didn't need to pay so much, but he never got much for them either. The roads weren't cleared well in winter. Those same roads were full of potholes. There wasn't much in the way of senior citizen support ... well, you get the picture. I understand why he hated paying taxes. You get nothing for it.
Considering that the Greeks have as good as never really been the masters of their own fate, I don't find it all that surprising that they themselves never really even set up a tax system. Since the occupying powers always made sure they would collect what they felt was their due, they had one and the Greeks didn't need one ... for nigh on two millennia ... and the Greek people saw again and again and again that taxes mean only that others get richer while you, the little guy, just get poorer and poorer. But, in too many people's minds, it's the lazy, tax-evading Greek populace that has brought the country to the edge of ruin. What a bunch of hooey!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not excusing nor justifying the situation in which Greece finds itself, but I am very adamant that those who maintain it's all the Greek people's fault are ignorant (in particular of the history of the country), arrogant (not having walked an inch in their shoes), and prejudiced (yes, those of love to think they know it all, have stereotypes dictating their thoughts). What I am saying is quite simple: we expect too much too soon.
I have always maintained: the East Germans suffered under their dictatorship for 40 years, and it is ludicrous to expect that it will take fewer than 40 years to get everybody out of it. The Greeks have been in the modern sovereign-state business – as a full-fledged partner – for only 40 years as well. So they should be doing everything to the same degree of effectiveness and effectivity that others have allegedly mastered in two, three or five times as long. Right.
If you set the bar too high, others can't jump over it.
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