Why Americans vote against their own interests

[robaus]

Political scientist Dr David Runciman looks at why there is often such deep opposition to reforms that appear to be of obvious benefit to voters.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8474611.stm

 

Quite a fascinating article.

 

 

[Hugh_Hoy]

Fascinating? 5555555555555 More like a sour-grapes cabal of Demoncrats not wanting to face up to the facts that U.S. citizens are: fed up with the corrupted,underhanded, unethical, incompentent, wasteful legislature and bureaucracies; not secure in a belief that the legislature is really on their side when the legislature's members are beholden to special interests; tired of the federal government intruding in their private lives and in matters that should be decided at a local or state level.

 

The persons noted in the article are the exact clones of what we call "elitists"; that is, they know what's best for every individual and group in America and, damnit, "we're gonna make you do this or that whether you like it or not."

 

I'm thinking that the days may be over for the yo-yo's like the referenced know-it-alls who have

have written a book or who have been professional students long enough to get an advanced degree. They're being seen for what they are: self-important, ego-maniac experts on how people should run their lives, how the Government is charged with making decisions for them, and who cause more problems than they solve.

 

HH

 

[kamui]

Fascinating? 5555555555555 More like a sour-grapes cabal of Demoncrats not wanting to face up to the facts that U.S. citizens are: fed up with the corrupted,underhanded, unethical, incompentent, wasteful legislature and bureaucracies; not secure in a belief that the legislature is really on their side when the legislature's members are beholden to special interests; tired of the federal government intruding in their private lives and in matters that should be decided at a local or state level.

 

The persons noted in the article are the exact clones of what we call "elitists"; that is, they know what's best for every individual and group in America and, damnit, "we're gonna make you do this or that whether you like it or not."

 

I'm thinking that the days may be over for the yo-yo's like the referenced know-it-alls who have

have written a book or who have been professional students long enough to get an advanced degree. They're being seen for what they are: self-important, ego-maniac experts on how people should run their lives, how the Government is charged with making decisions for them, and who cause more problems than they solve.

 

HH

 

What I find funny about the "anti elitist" wave in the US is that the country is run by either failed, unsuccessful people by GWB or even by really uneducated ones like Palin.

 

Also what I find interesting that people like you HH seem always to rally against individuals, but don't see that the whole political system is so corrupt that it is almost impossible to gain a position of power without being corrupted (K-Street, voting system, byzantine rules in the Senate, party financing, e.g.).

 

Also "elite" seems mostly to mean democrats and the left, while the corruption exploded under the Reps rule (like Billions vanishing in the pockets of KBR and co.).

 

Even if you would erase 90% of all politicans and substitute them with 'Joe Smiths' it wouldn't change a thing, in the contrary everything would become much more worse. This idea reminds on the purging during the Stalin area: after Stalin had killed the political/military elite there was no one left to defend the country against the Germany army.

[Guest lazyphil]

kamui why do you obsess about usa politics????

[kamui]

kamui why do you obsess about usa politics????

 

Because it had and has major influence on the (Western) world. Just envision how relaxed the last decade would have been without GWB and 9/11 and the US actions as a result of it.

The *whole* Western world and almost each and any country and any citizen would would be better of by now.

 

Also because the US has sold us - especially us Germans - a dream of a much better life under the economical, political, military, cultural and moral leadership of the US. We Germans and I guess many other countries were happy to follow the leadership - and to experience that it took just two airplanes and 8 years of a failed government that everything crumbled into dust.

 

economical = see US bank collapse, GM, e.g.

political = see GWB lying to his closest allies and alienating almost government in the world, e.g.

military = see Iraq and now Afghanistan

moral = Guantanamo, black prisons, torture, e.g.

cultural = implosion of the American Way of Life (Colombine, e.g.).

 

The only recent positive development I see was the election of the first black president, which might have a very long lasting impact on the whole world in regard to the question how to deal with diversity (class, skin color, e.g.).

 

 

[Guest lazyphil]

well dont stress the chinese way of life will trickle down to us once the usa finally implodes.....roll in the mobile execution/organ harvest facilitys hoorah. clean up the filth travis bickle stlye!!!

[Hugh_Hoy]

[military = see Iraq and now Afghanistan

moral = Guantanamo, black prisons, torture, e.g.

cultural = implosion of the American Way of Life (Colombine, e.g.).

 

Your description parallels another country I can think of. I wonder which one that would be?

 

HH

 

[kamui]

well dont stress the chinese way of life will trickle down to us once the usa finally implodes.....roll in the mobile execution/organ harvest facilitys hoorah. clean up the filth travis bickle stlye!!!

 

That's why it is so terribly bad that US went down in the last decade. Today there is no real counterpart against the extremely aggressive power play the Chinese are playing around the world. Until the mid 1990s the Chinese expansion and their zone of influence and power could be contained by the US.

The US is now a debtor to China and Europe is to weak to do anything against them.

[Weird]

their own interests...

 

hahaha....

 

It is in your own interest to bend over and take it up the ... because I say so and there's a shiny $20 bill for you if you do!

[allistar]

I agree HH and I'm going to boycott using medicare when I reach 65, as I'm sure you do, since it is run by corrupt politicians and waste billions of dollars. Health care reform? Those 30 million people uninsured and countless others that can't get health insurance because of the astronomical insurance rates and/or pre-conditions? As Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake!"