What do you call someone who votes based purely on what they personally gain?

[SpatiallyAware]

...as compared to someone who votes based on what's best for an overall healthy society.

We need a term for this....

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years."

— Alexis de Tocqueville

 

[Mursilis]

What do you call that person? A typical voter. Very, very few people care about the health of society - they just want more free stuff. If they cared, they wouldn't burden future generations with ever-increasing debt.

 

[randomrogue]

It's pretty normal.

I used to vote that way until I had more experience with different segments of society and once I moved to another country it was blatantly obvious that we need to think about our society as a whole.

 

[Raghu]

So true. India being a prime example

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9483756.stm

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5052761&page=0

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article1571384.ece

A successful democracy rests on top of a few fundamental guarantees - freedom and equality being the biggest factors. When these 2 break down, the country becomes a slave to the largest voting group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Hindi_agitations_of_Tamil_Nadu

When these factors are guaranteed then voting for personal gain will be equivalent to voting for common good.

 

[child of wonder]

A senior citizen on SS and Medicare?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

It's pretty normal.

I used to vote that way until I had more experience with different segments of society and once I moved to another country it was blatantly obvious that we need to think about our society as a whole.

It's been been normal for the last few elections.

We (not only in this forum but society as a whole) used to pride ourselves in what we could accomplish as a country, and what "our party" would do to help ALL of the people.

It's very sad to me that the voters in the last few elections in particular seem to only care about either what they and 'their group' get from it, or aligning with group mentality, all else be damned.


People don't seem to care what's good or bad, only about cracking jokes and being with the "winning" party.

I watched a movie called idiocracy years ago and thought it was pretty childish and stupid. It's starting to ring amazingly true.

 

[nehalem256]

It's been been normal for the last few elections.

We (not only in this forum but society as a whole) used to pride ourselves in what we could accomplish as a country, and what "our party" would do to help ALL of the people.

It's very sad to me that the voters in the last few elections in particular seem to only care about either what they and 'their group' get from it, or aligning with group mentality, all else be damned.


People don't seem to care what's good or bad, only about cracking jokes and being with the "winning" party.

I watched a movie called idiocracy years ago and thought it was pretty childish and stupid. It's starting to ring amazingly true.

What do you expect when you have a choice between the:

(a) Greed is good party.

(b) My body. My choice. Your responsibility party.

EDIT: And another problem is that people are part of groups that are so different. There is a very little commonality between people anymore.

It used to be expected that you got married, didn't get divorced, and had a family.

What does say a married Wall Street banker have in common with a single mom with 3 kids by 3 different fathers?

 

[fskimospy]

A rational voter. Every person should vote their best interest, that's what democracy is for.

Strange how people think that people should act out of self interest in say... Business but not in policy. This of course comes down to finding ways that people are wrong for not voting the way you want them to.

Amazing how people have convinced themselves that minorities don't vote Republican because they want free stuff instead of perhaps noticing the explicit Republican moves to attack these groups. This stuff isn't complicated.

 

[Mursilis]

It's been been normal for the last few elections.

We (not only in this forum but society as a whole) used to pride ourselves in what we could accomplish as a country, and what "our party" would do to help ALL of the people.

It's very sad to me that the voters in the last few elections in particular seem to only care about either what they and 'their group' get from it, or aligning with group mentality, all else be damned.


People don't seem to care what's good or bad, only about cracking jokes and being with the "winning" party.

I watched a movie called idiocracy years ago and thought it was pretty childish and stupid. It's starting to ring amazingly true.

Someone once posted a great quote about democracy that explains its main flaw:

Democracy is just two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.

Just looking at the majority of large, mature democracies around the world, they all seem destined to bankrupt themselves.

 

[Mursilis]

A rational voter. Every person should vote their best interest, that's what democracy is for.

Strange how people think that people should act out of self interest in say... Business but not in policy. This of course comes down to finding ways that people are wrong for not voting the way you want them to.

Amazing how people have convinced themselves that minorities don't vote Republican because they want free stuff instead of perhaps noticing the explicit Republican moves to attack these groups. This stuff isn't complicated.

Most rational capitalists understand that the marketplace needs to have at least some reverence to the rule of law and governmental oversight. Otherwise, the result is chaos and the destruction of the marketplace. It's the same with the pursuit of self-interest in a democracy. Unchecked self-interest is ultimately profoundly immoral. If you have something I want, is it not in my self-interest to simply take it?

 

[nehalem256]

A rational voter. Every person should vote their best interest, that's what democracy is for.

Strange how people think that people should act out of self interest in say... Business but not in policy. This of course comes down to finding ways that people are wrong for not voting the way you want them to.

Amazing how people have convinced themselves that minorities don't vote Republican because they want free stuff instead of perhaps noticing the explicit Republican moves to attack these groups. This stuff isn't complicated.

You mean give them less "free" stuff

 

[Atreus21]

What do you call that person? A typical voter. Very, very few people care about the health of society - they just want more free stuff. If they cared, they wouldn't burden future generations with ever-increasing debt.

I have trouble with that claim, because I can't even begin to relate to it. I don't know anyone who thinks like that.

 

[nehalem256]

Most rational capitalists understand that the marketplace needs to have at least some reverence to the rule of law and governmental oversight. Otherwise, the result is chaos and the destruction of the marketplace. It's the same with the pursuit of self-interest in a democracy. Unchecked self-interest is ultimately profoundly immoral.

Well you have one party obsessed with the "free-market" and one party intent on destroying any concept of personal morality.

If you have something I want, is it not in my self-interest to simply take it?

That would be immoral.

Instead first declare that you have a "right" to it. Then have the government take give it to you.

 

[piasabird]

A Democrat.

First rule in business:

No such thing as Free!

 

[unokitty]

A rational voter. Every person should vote their best interest, that's what democracy is for.

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you." -- John Kennedy


From John Kennedy to the Obama phone.... A new direction for a new generation ...

US Set to Restage Greek Tragedy

Uno

 

[piasabird]

Get ready to pay the Obamacare Tax.

 

[Mursilis]

I have trouble with that claim, because I can't even begin to relate to it. I don't know anyone who thinks like that.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...7b6248-29b1-11e2-b4e0-346287b7e56c_story.html

Just as an example. It's like Cheney said, deficits don't matter. Look at Greece - they're going broke as a nation, and people were rioting again this week because their benefits are being cut. It's all about me, and me getting mine.

 

[Atreus21]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...7b6248-29b1-11e2-b4e0-346287b7e56c_story.html

Just as an example. It's like Cheney said, deficits don't matter. Look at Greece - they're going broke as a nation, and people were rioting again this week because their benefits are being cut. It's all be me, and me getting mine.

And I can't relate to that either. It's revolting. If I were on government assistance, which I have been at one time or another, one would think it would come with a sense of gratitude and humility, and the understanding that this is not something you have earned, but something that people have furnished to you as a gift to help you.

It's like receiving a Christmas gift from someone one year, and not the next, and getting violent as a result. I don't know anyone that...selfish doesn't sum it up well enough. Ungrateful, selfish, greedy, arrogant...it's almost all 7 deadly sins rolled into one.

 

[fskimospy]

Most rational capitalists understand that the marketplace needs to have at least some reverence to the rule of law and governmental oversight. Otherwise, the result is chaos and the destruction of the marketplace. It's the same with the pursuit of self-interest in a democracy. Unchecked self-interest is ultimately profoundly immoral. If you have something I want, is it not in my self-interest to simply take it?

Where is this unchecked self interest? I've never seen it.

 

[fskimospy]

Also, as always, comparison between the US and Greece only shows the fundamental lack of understanding by the person making the comparison.

 

[IronWing]

Far too few voters have been voting their self interests. People vote based on issues that have no effect on their lives - gay marriage for others, restricting gun ownership for others, restricting abortion rights for others, etc. Voters need to spend more time figuring out how government affects their own life and how they wish government to affect their life and then vote accordingly.

 

[Mursilis]

Where is this unchecked self interest? I've never seen it.

Wealthy Southern gentry fighting for nearly 100 years for the right to own slaves doesn't ring a bell? Slavery was both a) in the slaveholder's self-interest and b) profoundly immoral. Hardly a major democracy exists which hasn't still mistreated one group or another.

 

[lotus503]

Big oil lobbying for its self interest and government subsidies.

Big pharma lobbying for the same.

Agriculture business lobbying for the same.

Wallstreet lobbying for the same

The list goes on

Last I checked our latest financial mess wasn't caused by the average voter wanting handouts.

I pay into the system way more than I get out of it and don't want a dime of my money going to the over 100 billion a year is corporate subsidies and handouts or billions in military imperialism.

But rail on against birth control and food stamps and keep blaming poor people and minorities, it's a winning strategy lol.

 

[momeNt]

You should never try to make decisions for anybody but yourself, that job belongs solely to the government through the democratic process.

 

[Ausm]

A Democrat.

First rule in business:

No such thing as Free!

Care to list what I get for free? Are you aware that the majority of people who suck off the Gubermint teat are in Red States? ...crickets chirping...I didn't think so Moran.