# Political positions you hold that aren't in your best interest
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 9, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037 "2006-08-09T18:52:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/21 "2006-08-11T00:26:33Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> :eek:
> (I’m not criticizing, understand. Certainly it’s your right. This statement just leapt out at me. )
Yeah, well, I prefer not to dress primal feelings up in a lot of rhetoric. I am what I am.
I appreciate your restraint in your response…it must be difficult.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/22 "2006-08-11T00:28:05Z")
> [@Malienation](#):
>
> Yeah, well, I prefer not to dress primal feelings up in a lot of rhetoric. I am what I am.
>
> I appreciate your restraint in your response…it must be difficult.
Fair enough.
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### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/23 "2006-08-11T01:16:18Z")
I hold no political position that isn’t in my best interest. Furthermore, IMHO, this is the only way democracy can work. I believe one of the biggest things wrong with this country is voters who vote against their own best interest because they “think” it’s the right thing to do. Doing things against your own best interest is, IMHO a form of insanity.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/24 "2006-08-11T01:36:08Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#):
>
> I hold no political position that isn’t in my best interest. Furthermore, IMHO, this is the only way democracy can work. I believe one of the biggest things wrong with this country is voters who vote against their own best interest because they “think” it’s the right thing to do. Doing things against your own best interest is, IMHO a form of insanity.
I also have actually always thought that if everyone looked out for their own interests first, the country would be a lot better off. I wouldn’t call it insanity if you don’t, but in general I agree with you.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/25 "2006-08-11T02:48:59Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I also have actually always thought that if everyone looked out for their own interests first, the country would be a lot better off. I wouldn’t call it insanity if you don’t, but in general I agree with you.
Except that we’d all be living under Nazi rule. Because when Germany declared war on us in 1941, everyone would have figured “I want Germany to be defeated but it’s in my own personal best interest to have somebody else do the actual fighting.”
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/26 "2006-08-11T02:52:00Z")
I can’t recall who first said it but somebody once wrote that the best ethical guide is to ask yourself, “Am I acting in a manner such that I would want everyone else to act the same way?”
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### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/27 "2006-08-11T13:38:15Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#):
>
> Except that we’d all be living under Nazi rule. Because when Germany declared war on us in 1941, everyone would have figured “I want Germany to be defeated but it’s in my own personal best interest to have somebody else do the actual fighting.”
Obviously there are exceptions. We’re not idiots.
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/28 "2006-08-11T13:58:59Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#):
>
> I hold no political position that isn’t in my best interest. Furthermore, IMHO, this is the only way democracy can work. I believe one of the biggest things wrong with this country is voters who vote against their own best interest because they “think” it’s the right thing to do. Doing things against your own best interest is, IMHO a form of insanity.
Why is this the only way democracy can work?
Now I could see how my support for universal health care could be construed to be in my own interest despite my already having coverage. There could be a lot of societal benefits which would trickle down to me, I suppose. Is this along the lines of what you mean?
If not, your assertion seems to me a bit cynical and un-neighborly.
I mean, I can afford to help out other people by supporting this policy. Many others can too. And hopefully we can stipulate for this discussion that health care is a “good thing”. So how is this contributing toward making democracy not work?
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### Author:  [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/29 "2006-08-11T16:19:07Z")
I oppose mandatory seatbelt laws but never go anywhere without it on. It’s a free country. Whether or not you have a seatbelt on doesn’t impact me.
I am all for bans on smoking but I am a smoker. Theoretically bars and restaurants should be able to choose their own policies, but I think smoking sucks so much that it should be banned. I didn’t realize how incredibly addictive cigarettes were when I started smoking, and now I am having an incredibly difficult time trying to quit. The stuff is like crack and the harder The Man makes it for me to smoke the better. I also believe that we were born healthy non-smokers and that by default means that non-smokers have the right to remain smoke free more than smokers have the right to smoke in their presence.
I am a gay republican. well, sort of.
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### Author:  [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/30 "2006-08-11T17:03:14Z")
> [@Malienation](#):
>
> I hate women and their overvalued lives.
:eek: WTF!
That’s an interesting point of view.
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/31 "2006-08-11T18:36:27Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#):
>
> Obviously there are exceptions. We’re not idiots.
What are the exceptions?
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### Author:  [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/32 "2006-08-11T19:37:09Z")
I support a graduated income tax, even though I’d probably pay more money in taxes because of it. To me, taxes are the price of citizenship. End of story.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/33 "2006-08-11T20:03:15Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> What are the exceptions?
Well, there are a lot of issues that don’t affect me one way or the other, like gay marriage. In these cases, I vote on the side of liberty. I think what **Can Handle the Truth** was getting at with “exceptions” is that you need to take them on a case-by-case basis. I think national security would definitely be an area where considerations might be taken.
In the case of, say, the example given of WWII, I would say that I sincerely hope that we are never in the position of having to bring back the draft. If, however, we find ourselves embroiled in a world war in which it was necessary to bring it back in order to save the country, then I think it would be smart to put aside what I think might be good for me, personally. On the other hand, a strong argument could be made in such a situation that it WOULD be in my best interests to have a draft (let’s imagine I was of the age and sex to be drafted, or I had a son who was), because the chances of I or my son being kiilled might be high, but a chance worth taking to preserve our home & way of life.
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### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/34 "2006-08-11T23:05:59Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> What are the exceptions?
1. You are on a crowded bus when a pregnant woman gets on. You offer her your seat. Why? because the goodwill that you will earn from the other passengers more than offsets the hardship to you for giving up your seat. Moreover, you establish yourself as somewhat of a leader, which just might come in handy later.
2. Wartime: you fight to defend your home. Otherwise you’d be a homeless refugee. Some people might accept that fate, others would rather be dead. That’s why we’ll always have a military. **Little Nemo** thinks that “self interest” means that everyone will run off into the woods when the enemy invades. He doesn’t realize that many people will decide they’re better off fighting than fleeing.
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### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/35 "2006-08-11T23:25:44Z")
Let’s also look at the example of a wartime draft. Suppose all draftable persons (18 to 34 years old) voted against it, and everyone else voted for it. The draft will be instituted bcause the majority will have voted for it.
Taxes: if everyone voted to abolish taxes, they would soon regret it. Do you really want no police, fire department, water, sewer, road maintenance, etc.? I’d gladly pay more gasoline tax, even at these current prices, if it would get the city to fix some of the roads around here.
There are many more such examples “self-interest” going a bit deeper than some people’s simplistic notions of it.
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### Author:  [@Grammaticaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grammaticaster)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/36 "2006-08-11T23:51:57Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#):
>
> You are on a crowded bus when a pregnant woman gets on. You offer her your seat. Why? because the goodwill that you will earn from the other passengers more than offsets the hardship to you for giving up your seat. Moreover, you establish yourself as somewhat of a leader, which just might come in handy later.
Unless the bus is filled with people who think “What an idiot! That guy should have acted in his own best interests.”
People acting solely in their own interests is exactly what’s wrong with American democracy. Our country is inordinately controlled by small interest groups because politicians know it’s in their interest to pay attention to the people with money and influence.
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/37 "2006-08-12T14:45:44Z")
> [@Malienation](#):
>
> Many feminist principles. **I hate women and their overvalued lives**. Still, I think in the long run that I might benefit _somehow_, although I’m not holding my breath. In any case, I sure ain’t hanging with the anti-feminists; in spite of what they say, with their principles I am _definitely_ worse off in the long run.
Good Lord. Get some help.
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### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/38 "2006-08-12T15:58:42Z")
> [@Grammaticaster](#):
>
> People acting solely in their own interests is exactly what’s wrong with American democracy. Our country is inordinately controlled by small interest groups because politicians know it’s in their interest to pay attention to the people with money and influence.
Well, that wouldn’t happen if we were a democracy instead of a republic. In other words, if all issues were decided by “one person, one vote” instead of relying on politicians to decide things.
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### Author:  [@Kyyrewyyoae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyyrewyyoae)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/39 "2006-08-12T16:46:27Z")
I am against estate taxes though I am not in line to inherit anything but debt.
I oppose universal health care even though I’m broke and have no insurance.
I’m against smoking bans but I don’t smoke.
And I don’t think acting against one’s own best interest is insanity.
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-positions-you-hold-that-arent-in-your-best-interest/368037/40 "2006-08-12T17:34:16Z")
> [@StinkyBurrito](#):
>
> I oppose mandatory seatbelt laws but never go anywhere without it on. It’s a free country. Whether or not you have a seatbelt on doesn’t impact me.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if someone’s not wearing a seatbelt and you hit their car (with you at fault in the crash), aren’t you responsible for higher medical bills for more severe injuries, or even liable to be prosecuted for some form of manslaughter?
I agree with you in principle here- if it doesn’t affect me, it’s none of my business- but I think this one could affect me.
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