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Remember the book,"What's The Matter with Kansas"by Thomas Frank? In it,he complains about his own native state of Kansas wrongly voting for Republicans who's policies favor the wealthy. He complains Republicans have used wedge issues to distract voters away from their alledged self interst. As if big government is in the best interest of people.
Anyways,it got me to thinking. Could you not argue trhat many Democrat/Obama voters are voting against their own self interst? After all,look at high income areas like the Silicon Valley,the northshore suburbs of Chicago,the Philly suburbs. They include many wealthy or at least higher income people. Are they simply supporting Dems because it's considered fashionable? Are they that obsessed with social liberalism they will support candidates who will raise their taxes and could regualte them out of business?
Lots of eligible voters in America pay almost no attention to the issues. Analyzing positions and sizing up policies requires some thought and effort.
The GOP has convinced millions of these "low information" voters that every election is about god, gays, and guns. It's a tactic that works with folks who'd buy (or gratefully receive) a singing bass as an x-mas gift.
Lots of eligible voters in America pay almost no attention to the issues. Analyzing positions and sizing up policies requires some thought and effort.
The GOP has convinced millions of these "low information" voters that every election is about god, gays, and guns. It's a tactic that works with folks who'd buy (or gratefully receive) a singing bass as an x-mas gift.
Well, for example, take a look at Apple. They have always been based in CA.
Yet now they are expanding in Austin. Even doing development work there now.
Highly educated tech professionals tend to see the big picture, and they realize that government has a place in creating stability, enforcing regulations, national security,etc. They see the greatness of a country as more than maximum profit and minimum regulation. Also, they realize that short-term profit at the cost of ruining the environment is not wise. More generally, I think they get the notion that part of quality of life is a vibrant, safe society with a clean environment and broad middle class. You can think of the best places to live in the world, and they will almost always have higher, progressive taxe rates and less inequality (most of N. Europe, Australia, Canada, NZ,etc.) than the poorest or most political conservative countries (the USA primarily). Giving about a fifth or quarter or even a larger share of GDP in taxes to support the government is part of the recipe for a strong middle class in nearly all those countries. Sharing the wealth a bit make a richer society. And if you have means, why not give, as all indications are that a strong public sector yields benefits too. We need to raise our families in the larger society, and all the wealth and tax breaks in the world would not make me want to live in, say, Somalia. In contrast, if a job opened up in Norway or Sweden, I would consider it, even with much higher taxes.
Those that are very wealthy and vote democrat aren't voting against their own self interest, as they stand up for what the founding father's wanted to allow everyone the opportunity to the american dream, not just the very rich.
Remember the book,"What's The Matter with Kansas"by Thomas Frank? In it,he complains about his own native state of Kansas wrongly voting for Republicans who's policies favor the wealthy. He complains Republicans have used wedge issues to distract voters away from their alledged self interst. As if big government is in the best interest of people.
Anyways,it got me to thinking. Could you not argue trhat many Democrat/Obama voters are voting against their own self interst? After all,look at high income areas like the Silicon Valley,the northshore suburbs of Chicago,the Philly suburbs. They include many wealthy or at least higher income people. Are they simply supporting Dems because it's considered fashionable? Are they that obsessed with social liberalism they will support candidates who will raise their taxes and could regulate them out of business?
Regulations are for the little guy and those not connected to powerful Democratic politicians. Look at the number of Obama donors (unions) who got Obamacare waivers. It's the others who will foot the bill. Obama's friends won't shed a tear when their competition is regulated out of business.
As for taxes on the wealthy, be sure to let me know when democrats stop talking about taxes on billionaires and actually raise them. Last I heard Democrats waited until after the midterms to extend those evil, economy destroying Bush (now Obama) tax cuts for billionaires.
Typically highly paid professionals live in cities.
In cities, you need social services that don't exist or are needed less in the rural and suburban areas.
For example, in cities, you need trash, sewer, police, fire brigade, road, utilities, etc. This is all needed in greater quantities, and typically greater cost, than in suburbs and rural areas.
You also need libraries, parks and recreation (can't just be all concrete jungle), the administration to manage them, public transit to move people around, tourism / advertising agencies to hawk the location, health, safety, and environment agencies, planning agencies, courts, etc.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
People in the countryside and some suburbs don't comprehend that all this is necessary in cities. They wonder "well why can't ya just do it all for $1.50 and such?" Well it isn't possible.
With all these services breeds a typical Democratic outlook because of all the open minded ness that needs to go on.
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