Congressmen are elected to serve the people, not to preserve their seats. Yet it's obvious to all none-partisan drones that 99.9% of the Congressmen, whether D or R, are in it for themselves. Consider this excerpt from the story on the upcoming health care vote that Bonnie shared earlier:
Democrats are worried about holding their members together on a GOP motion that could kill the healthcare bill.
Their concern is based on the fear of GOP attack ads painting Democrats who vote against a motion that includes Stupak's favored language on abortion as "flip-floppers" on the issue.'
Sixty-eight Democrats voted for Stupak's language in a November vote. They could be portrayed as flipping if they now voted against it.
"They are concerned about it," Stupak said after his Sunday press conference.
Notice how none of this last-second "concern" has anything to do with how the bill will affect regular Americans. You know, the people who are forced to pay for "health reform" as well as the $1000 government suits our "compassionate" "servants" will wear to the bill's final debate. It all comes down to a self-interested cost-benefit analysis for politicians like Stupak.
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Should we be surprised at this? The entire premise of praxeology is that people tend to act in their own interest. Congressmen aren't inherently evil, they are doing what anyone else what do in their place. The problem is the incentive structure that government creates, not "evil" people in government.
You're of course, completely right about the nature of government. People naturally care about ourselves and our loved ones more than others.
But I don't think nice people generally run for office, and the "no one is bad" attitude you are conveying seems a cop-out akin to moral relativism. Who could possibly be narcissitic enough to think they could take such God-like powers on? Why shouldn't they be criticized based on the evil they do in office?
Oh have no fear, at my core I agree with you. My former argument is just one I think is useful when talking to people who are "moderates" or not as skeptical of government as myself.