Difference between revisions of "Voting for bread and circuses"
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(added ref to Tytler quote (new); using dynamic tree for debate; discovered reversal of conclusion, added it to debate) |
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[[page type::article]] | [[page type::article]] | ||
| − | [[thing type::meme]] | + | [[thing type::meme]][[thing type::quote]] |
[[category:memes]] | [[category:memes]] | ||
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==About== | ==About== | ||
| − | [[Voting for bread and circuses]] refers to a popular belief that the common citizens in a [[democracy]] will ultimately be its undoing when they discover that they can vote for common savings to be dispersed. | + | [[Voting for bread and circuses]] refers to a popular belief that the common citizens in a [[democracy]] will ultimately be its undoing when they discover that they can vote for common savings to be dispersed. Another very similar expression is the [[Tytler quote]], which argues (also without evidence) that democracy "can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury." |
==Origins== | ==Origins== | ||
It comes from a quote by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] (emphasis added): | It comes from a quote by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] (emphasis added): | ||
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* reducing public services and entitlements, since that is the "common people" reallocating [[other people's money]] for themselves. | * reducing public services and entitlements, since that is the "common people" reallocating [[other people's money]] for themselves. | ||
==Arguments== | ==Arguments== | ||
| − | :<s>{{arg/main|The common citizens in a [[democracy]] will ultimately be its undoing when they discover that they can vote to acquire the country's wealth for their personal benefit.}}</s> | + | {{#tree: |
| − | + | *<s>{{arg/main|The common citizens in a [[democracy]] will ultimately be its undoing when they discover that they can vote to acquire the country's wealth for their personal benefit.}}</s> | |
| − | + | **<s>{{arg/pro|The {{USA}} in the early 21st century is an example of this:}}</s> | |
| − | + | ***<s>{{arg/pro|Lower income-earners pay a much smaller percentage of the government's tax receipts than do higher income-earners. [http://chuck-bitingmytongue.blogspot.com/2008/07/when-people-find-they-can-vote.html]}}</s> | |
| − | + | ****{{arg/con|This is called [[progressive taxation]], which actually helps sustain society.}} | |
| − | + | ***{{arg/con|It is actually the upper earners who have by far the most influence over political decisions.}} | |
| + | ***{{arg/con|Social programs and entitlements have a history of being ''reduced'' steadily, per capita, over the past few decades.}} | ||
| + | **<s>{{arg/pro|This argument is proven true by the collapse of the European socialist state. Decades of unsustainable spending has begun to collapse on itself and the "commoners" are rioting at the suggestion of later retirements and fewer benefits.}}</s> | ||
| + | ***{{arg/con|The European economic collapse has been all the more rapid due to ''austerity'' measures -- the opposite of "bread and circuses".}} | ||
| + | ****{{arg/con|In the United States, where there was a mild stimulus instead, there has been significant recovery.}} | ||
| + | }} | ||
==Conclusions== | ==Conclusions== | ||
| − | This argument | + | This is basically a ludicrous and poisonous argument which seems designed to appeal to the selfishness and elitism that are in plentiful supply at all levels of income. |
| + | There is no evidence to support the idea that the "commoners", or their equivalent in whatever democracy is under discussion, have been its downfall through this mechanism. Just looking at the evidence of the US, it would appear to be specific members of the upper class who have "voted themselves bread and circuses" and been the primary cause of the [[2008 financial meltdown|recent economic crisis]] through their support for multiple simultaneous wars ([[US-Iraq War]], [[US invasion of Afghanistan]]), deregulation of the banking industry. and other political efforts. | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
===Reference=== | ===Reference=== | ||
* {{wikipedia|Bread and circuses}} | * {{wikipedia|Bread and circuses}} | ||