Do people just support politics that benefit them?

[Antics]

People who are pro-capitalist and vote Tory do so as they believe they can personally benefit from that system. Equally, many left wing voters do so in an equally selfish way as they want to take more from society than they currently do. If offered a high paying job, would their views quickly change?

[Questionable]

People who are pro-capitalist and vote Tory do so as they believe they can personally benefit from that system.

In some cases this happens. Not all people are consciously aware of how capitalism affects them.


Equally, many left wing voters do so in an equally selfish way as they want to take more from society than they currently do.

Is this an insult or do you actually believe that? Anyway, "left-wing" is a broad term, but I'd say most people are left-wing because they see the current status quo as undesirable or unsustainable. We don't want a bigger piece of the pie, we want to get rid of the pie.


If offered a high paying job, would their views quickly change?

If they were a shitty leftist, maybe. Anyone with a genuine understanding of Marxism would realize that capitalist contradictions happen regardless of which economic class you belong to. Turning bourgeois won't make you invulnerable to a crisis (Although it might soften the blow).

[Prometeo liberado]

Many people who vote for, say, the Tories do in fact think that they are personally benefiting but we all know better. To truly "benefit" from from your politics you must first be able to understand what that means. Long term, one will never benefit from advancing the interest of others to the detriment of you and yours. I think you may be confusing insanity with benefit.

[Yuppie Grinder]

Libertarianism is becoming increasingly popular among poor folks here in the states, so I'd say no.

[#FF0000]

People who are pro-capitalist and vote Tory do so as they believe they can personally benefit from that system. Equally, many left wing voters do so in an equally selfish way as they want to take more from society than they currently do. If offered a high paying job, would their views quickly change?

Nope. A metric ton of rich motherfuckers vote for left-ish parties e.g the democrats and a whole lot of poor and working class people vote for the right. In America, the states with the highest poverty, lowest wages, and most people claiming benefits (e.g. the south) are usually right-wing strongholds lol.

[human strike]

If we stick with the political motivations of the working class for the moment, yes, it can be seen to be self-interested, but to varying degrees. Supporting conservative forces out of some perceived interest in advancing religious or national values obviously only serves their interests so far. Being against immigration in order to preserve one's job, for example. Acting on communist ideals, however, can be seen to be a much greater form of self-interest - not of class interest - but explicit self-interest. The idea that collectivism and individualism are opposites is completely false. One could argue that the highest form of selfishness is to look out for the interests of those around you, if you accept that individuals are only as well-off as those around them.

[Strannik]

Altruism and concrete self-interest can't be distinguished from each other in practice. It is in my concrete self-interest to be surrounded by educated, healthy, free people. It is in my concrete self-interest to see my works and my children survive in the future. So I'm socialist - for selfish reasons. Abstract egoism is something completely different - people do not just vote for parties that oppose their concrete interests, they can become literally suicidal because of abstract egoism.

[Blake's Baby]

Some people oppose policies that would materially benefit them in the short term on matters of principle. My parents for instance opposed the introduction of the Poll Tax in the UK in the late 1980s, even though it meant lower tax bills for them, because they thought that people who lived in nice houses and could generally afford it better should pay more in local taxes. Progressive taxation tends to be supported more by the slightly better off than the people who'd benefit most.

[graffic]

Many years ago politics was dominated by ideas and it was a battleground between people who genuinely thought they were doing good and wanted to help the worst off in society. The different ideologies just had different ways of doing it. Today there seems to be a massive apathy towards politics in general.

[CryingWolf]

Libertarianism is becoming increasingly popular among poor folks here in the states, so I'd say no.

Every libertarian thinks he is going to benefit from libertarianism.

They've deluded themselves into thinking that they're super-awesome but state interference in the market is keeping them down. And once there's a truly free market, they'll get rich.

[human strike]

Libertarianism is a fairly rational response to a highly bureaucratised society - it's just a fairly irrational response to a highly commodified one.

[spice756]

People who are pro-capitalist and vote Tory do so as they believe they can personally benefit from that system. Equally, many left wing voters do so in an equally selfish way as they want to take more from society than they currently do. If offered a high paying job, would their views quickly change?


Most of the conservative people I come across are two types. In Canada or Europe it goes like this .

- Voting conservative less of my tax money going to help lazy street people.

--Voting conservative I'm taxed too much.

--Voting conservative government spending money like a mad man.

--Voting conservative government high debt.

---Voting conservative anti- abortion.

---Voting conservative anti- LGBT.

---Voting conservative there needs to be god in the schools and society.


Most of the conservative think like this in Canada and Europe !!

In the US you get some this too:( but than you get types that say social programs and free healthcare that is communism look at USSR and Cuba we are not going to be like that we are much better.Yes we need small government and free market or we will have high unemployment and big recession !! Those CEO's and businesses need little to no tax and laws in place to allow them to do any thing , because government control or regulation you get high unemployment and big recession .

It almost a philosophy Americans believe.

I believe a philosophy is worse than self interest because it is harder for left to make change and the country is very conservative and does not really change . And I believe explains why the US is more conservative and does not really change. When you look at Europe they are more center left , Canada more center and the US far right almost neoconservatives.


When comes to the media fox news is far right and CNN more center .

[Antics]

Nope. A metric ton of rich motherfuckers vote for left-ish parties e.g the democrats and a whole lot of poor and working class people vote for the right. In America, the states with the highest poverty, lowest wages, and most people claiming benefits (e.g. the south) are usually right-wing strongholds lol.

From my view in London, they seem to be voting for social policies rather than economic. Would you agree?

[Avanti]

people mostly supports politics that reaffirms their sense of identity and belonging, no matter if it is perceived to benefit them or not. the candidate which best corresponds to the perceived identity of the society is going to win.

[Philosophos]

Critical thinkers with no morals vote for what benefits them. Critical thinkers with morals vote for what they think is the best for the society. Idiots don't. There are actually workers that can't understand why capitalism is the worst thing for them. They don't benefit from it, but at the same time they can't think of voting for something else because they can't think of a different system.

That is the easy way, to not think of changes just stay as you were born with no evolution and keep everything your parents or the society told you even if they're completly bullshit...

[Antics]

Well it seems like a large percentage of people do not have morals in your view. This is why I believe communism cannot work. You cannot fight human nature.

[#FF0000]

From my view in London, they seem to be voting for social policies rather than economic. Would you agree?

Somewhat, yeah.

[doesn't even make sense]

People's perceptions of their interests and which policies will suit them vary according to ideology. People that go for conservatism might think slashing government programs they rely on will ultimately benefit them because it will cause the economy to boom allowing all their hard work to be properly rewarded. I've heard this reasoning from relatives of mine.

Of course people's reasons for the politics they support are often rationalizations made up after the fact.

[Avanti]

People's perceptions of their interests and which policies will suit them vary according to ideology. People that go for conservatism might think slashing government programs they rely on will ultimately benefit them because it will cause the economy to boom allowing all their hard work to be properly rewarded. I've heard this reasoning from relatives of mine.

Of course people's reasons for the politics they support are often rationalizations made up after the fact.

in the usa, if you are voting conservative, you are masculine and are reaffirming your masculinity. if you are liberal, you are thoughtful and oh-so sensitive.

people often vote to say something about themselves.

[Jimmie Higgins]

People vote "against their interests" because their interests are largly not represented in the electoral sphere. When people are convinced enough that there is no alternative but the system, then they internalize the logic of the system: either voting "lesser-evil" or what makes sense to them based on that internalization of bourgoise ideas and logic. "Well if this system is fair, then why not let business have full range in shaping society".

If you buy the assumptions of liberals and conservatives generally, then their policies - to an extent - do have a coherent logic: "Well if Islam is a religion of crazy people, then I guess we should restrict some of their rights and treat them as suspect" "If business incentives create jobs, then we should give the rich tax breaks".


in the usa, if you are voting conservative, you are masculine and are reaffirming your masculinity. if you are liberal, you are thoughtful and oh-so sensitive.

people often vote to say something about themselves.Only because the way these contests work - due to a lack of any substantial difference in policy and view - is by contrasting styles, who has the best "zingers", and who "seems most presidential". They set it up as a pro-sports competition and lacking any other apparent means of having political input, people vote based on the options available.

[Avanti]

Only because the way these contests work - due to a lack of any substantial difference in policy and view - is by contrasting styles, who has the best "zingers", and who "seems most presidential". They set it up as a pro-sports competition and lacking any other apparent means of having political input, people vote based on the options available.

the truth is far worse.

the reason why political issues don't matter. substance is just intellectual support structures for buildings.

the real substance is the style.

and all is just a theatre. the voters are as manipulative as the puppet leaders, and those laughing are the puppet masters.

[smellincoffee]

I think politics is an expression of self-interest, yes. We may compete with each other in cities, and on the stage of "Civilization", but humans are still creatures ensnared by the struggle for existence. If they vote against their self-interest, it's out of ignorance.

[cynicles]

People who are pro-capitalist and vote Tory do so as they believe they can personally benefit from that system. Equally, many left wing voters do so in an equally selfish way as they want to take more from society than they currently do. If offered a high paying job, would their views quickly change?
People who are pro-capitalist and vote for <insert mainstream party> do so as they believe they have the inherent right to robe the working class of teh fruits of it's labour. Equally, many left wing voters for some reason believe they have an inherent right to the fruits of their labour that are rob of them by the capitalist in the workplace. If offered a high paying job higher up teh latter of cappie privilege would they sell out their political views to protect their asses.


Fix'd

[Ocean Seal]

There are rich communists and poor capitalists so I guess not.

[Ostrinski]

Isn't this the point of having political views? To make an interpretation of your own interests (whether accurate or false) and make decisions accordingly? Part of the purpose of ideology in class societies is to generate false consciousness, or to establish some kind of false premise so as to systematically justify the existing system for the disinterested class, in our case of contemporary capitalism the working class?

It would seem that in liberal democratic societies that electoral politics on this premise are to create the premise that the general working population has some kind of 'choice.' Not "illusion of choice" in the sense of "omg we're being controlled and conspired against by evil and elite people who control all the major parties!" but illusion of choice in the sense of the existent social system having the capacity to be used for the interests of more than one social class.