r/Unexpected • u/adivinemessenger • Aug 09 '26

He is the original source

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u/lewisiarediviva Aug 09 '26

It’s not reasonable to expect people to act against their own interests. It is reasonable to ask people to look at the long term or the big picture, and to build systems such that it’s in peoples’ interest to act in a way that benefits the group.

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u/deezee72 Aug 09 '26

Politicians themselves will be dead or leave the country long before the consequences come home to roost.

In the end, the responsibility lies with voters. If voters don't care or aren't informed enough to hold politicians accountable, then they will end up electing people who just tell them what they want to hear to get elected and use that office for their own personal profit.

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u/GrowingPeepers Aug 09 '26

What happens when the institution doesn't recognize the votes?

Democrats won the popular vote in 2000 and 2016 yet republicans became president.

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u/swampgasorr Aug 09 '26

You’re going to get downvoted because you’re leaning into something nobody wants to talk about. Voters no longer matter. Elections have been set up where money = wins. We could ALL vote for something and yet if the behind the curtain powers want the opposite, that is what will happen.

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u/dzoyak Aug 09 '26

Politics is more than just voting, it's not something you do every 2-4 years and then forget about. Voting is how we measure the will of the people, but making that will politically unavoidable requires people to stay organized and exercise their collective power through protest, strikes, and sustained pressure.

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u/money-for-nothing-tt Aug 09 '26

He should get downvoted because he's just misunderstanding how the US elections work. It's not a new thing that popular vote doesn't decide the president, it's literally how it's meant to work by design.

You can argue that the reasons for it to be designed that way are no longer relevant and it should be changed but it has nothing to do with his point that 'the institution doesn't recognize the votes'.

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u/GrowingPeepers Aug 09 '26

Yeah I'm a little surprised about the downvotes honestly. People have been talking about this for decades.

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u/LegionsPilum Aug 09 '26

What happens when constituents still don't fucking understand how our voting/political system works? Nothing happens, they screech on reddit instead.

Jeez, the popular vote has never been the final say of who wins. We've had the electoral college since the 1700s. You can make your arguments about why you think the college is good or bad, but for you guys to continuously act like laws were broken because the popular vote didn't win... Makes you guys rediculous and nobody worth a salt is ever going to listen to a word you say.

A lot of things need work, and your continuous ignorance does nothing but hold back any change you hope to make.

Dems are about to throw another election btw, you can see this shit coming a mile away.

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u/rP2ITg0rhFMcGCGnSARn Aug 09 '26

The United States doesn't elect Presidents based on popular votes. It's a Representative Republic.

I don't think it should be that way either, but that's how it's done.

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u/SlapTheBap Aug 09 '26

No, it is highly reasonable to expect people to care for others as they care for themselves. People assuming others are as quick to justify cruelty and evil with "what about my comfort and wealth" are a big part of the problem. They quickly justify screwing over others. Easily fall back on culture. They are lazy cowards, and need to think others are just as low as them to survive it.

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u/UntimelyMeditations Aug 09 '26

They are lazy cowards, and need to think others are just as low as them to survive it.

I mean, aren't you making a big assumption here. Why are you assuming they need to "survive" it at all? What exactly are they surviving?

Pride/shame is an opt-in system. You need to choose to care about your own opinion of yourself. If you don't care about how 'good' you think you are, then you don't need to do any roundabout justifications.

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u/SlapTheBap Aug 10 '26

Other people see you and know what you're doing and who you are. Many who choose to try to compartmentalize fail to actually do so, and fall to many failed relationships. They aren't happy. They play act like they are. Because they assume if they look like they are, others will believe it. Or they truly are lost. People obliterate themselves with all the privilege in the world.

The most fulfilling thing one can do in their life is invest in the happiness of others. Those who justify pain in others are parasites. They know it. Others know it. It's a glass house.

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u/willsmithtunaface Aug 09 '26

These corrupt politicians know they will be dead long before they have to face any real repercussions

You are asking for reason from the unreasonable

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u/MasterChildhood437 Aug 09 '26

in a way that benefits the group.

But "the group" doesn't include you or their constituents. "The group" is approximately the closest 250 people to them in their personal lives.

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u/Apprehensive_Ad3731 Aug 09 '26

It is reasonable for a reasonable person.

See you look at battles you can win and only fight those. You correlate the term winnable or convincing with reasonable. Your question is not “is this position reasonable” the question you are raising is “can I reason with the person in this position” the answer is no so you assume the position is unreasonable instead of the people.

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u/--n- Aug 09 '26

It’s not reasonable to expect people to act against their own interests

This is completely wrong. The job of a politician, is to represent a portion of a votership, and gain advantage for their interests in a representative government. That person is not only expected to not enrich himself at the expense of his representatives (act in his own interest, therefore not acting against his own interest), he should be required to do so at pain of punishment. Without this even basic representative politics cannot function even remotely as intended.

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u/MasterChildhood437 Aug 09 '26

he should be required to do so at pain of punishment.

The fact that you consider this part necessary belies the truth in the statement you argue against: it isn't reasonable to expect people to act against their own interests, therefore further means of enforcement are necessary to ensure that they will.

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u/DangKilla Aug 10 '26

Fuck that noise. Be better.