I don't think a government can "care". A government is not a person. It doesn't have a brain, thoughts, beliefs, or feelings. It has processes, laws, institutions, etc. which are all run by people.
I do think that most people who get involved in government are interested in making things better in their city, state, nation, etc.
However, their idea of "better" and mine might not agree: we might have different values.
I think not many lower level, a lot of the mid level then less of the high level officials care
I feel like, at the point at which becoming a politician became a dedicated career, things have taken a bit of a nosedive. You can go from school to retirement whilst only ever experiencing political jobs and nothing else that would inform your politics.
Hey! I agree mostly. I don't really believe people who get into government are often nterested in making things better though. I think some people get into it to make it worse, which makes more room for market solutions.
I would argue many people are initially interested in making things better, it’s just that power and lobbying have a tendency to corrupt people
As an Italian, I can assure you that the structure of our government is good, the Constitution is top-notch, and the whole system is a masterpiece of art.
Unfortunately, the entire thing is plagued by politicians, so it is falling apart.
Unfortunately, the entire thing is plagued by politicians, so it is falling apart.
Then the structure of your government is trash.
Hell no. There are some within it that do, but they don't get any real power. The ones who crave power get power.
I do believe that the primary goal of the government is still to increase the wellbeing of people. It's a complex machinery. Even if most politicians are corrupt, the whole thing can still strive towards the good. Corporate influence and corruption go against it while decomracy and separation of powers go for it.
However
The question was if it cares about MY best interest. The answer is no. The very purpose of the government is to limit all individuals' freedom for the greater good. Take stealing as an example. It would be in my best interest if I were allowed to steal. But that would still suck if other people were allowed to steal from me as well. If we all agree not to steal from each other, it will be even better for me (even though, individually, I would still be in better position to be able to steal when everyone else is not). So it's not so much about MY best interest, as it is the society's.
USA...government only cares about protecting corporate interests. Public safety and welfare is only considered when it can be used as a smokescreen to further corporate agenda. That's what I think and you won't talk me out of it.
No, our government only cares about profiting off the expense of other people and shilling out to corporations.
-Good ole US of A
That's hilarious! I'll do one!
Do you think they're actually sorry when you're on hold and the voice says 'we're sorry for the delay, a customer service rep will be with you shortly'?
England, absolutely not. those tory motherfuckers would kill me to make a profit and that's barely an exaggeration
No, the purpose of government is to preserve what they deem as "order". For example, the US government is trying to preserve its own existance and preserve the status quo. They conduct surveillance and interfere with extremist groups, both left and right (although they seem to target left-wing groups more often). Governments uphold core principles they value. In the US, the Constitution are those core principles, a Republic of the People that has varying degrees of democracy over time. In China, it's Marxism-Leninism (although their ideology has been shifting to Maoism, Dengism, and now Xi-ism?). In many middle east countries, it's Islamic Theocracy.
Governments with elements of democracy tend to "care about your best interests" more often than authoritarian ones, but its more about the core principles rather than the people running the government them selves. Over time, the people in government can shape it's core principles.
In summary, governments uphold a set of core values that may or may not be in the interest of the people, depending on whether or not the core principles allign with the core principles of what the people believe.
It depends a lot which country, and who's elected, and what the voter base is demanding.
I can personally compare Québec, Canada vs Denver, USA.
The US government, I feel like it truely doesn't give a shit about individual people. Only profits and corporations. Québec has a ton of social programs, they kinda suck out of massive incompetence, but they do exist. You're not gonna get sick and go bankrupt and then homeless. Unemployment is much more accessible. There's always welfare to back you up if you end up in deep shit, it's tight but it'll feed you, sort of. I feel like the Canadian government generally tries to fight for the people, some would say at the cost of the economy, whatever, we're alive and fine.
I don't exactly feel like my taxes are used well especially at the 52% bracket, but I do feel like I get some out of it, whereas in the US you just kinda have to pay 12 different for profit companies to get anything.
A government/country is an "it", an abstract entity; it is not a living human being, and cannot "care" about anything.
People working in that government care may or may not care about you, enough to change the behaviour of that government in a way that benefits you. But odds are that they don't.
And, just in case that the government in question is the one I pay taxes to (Brazil): the people in said government care about you as much as they care about a milking cow in a battery farm.
Government care that you are in the condition to pay as much taxes as possible. Which honestly is not bad, considering how selfish humans are...
Congress has proven to me over and over again that they don't, it's not about what I believe anymore.
You ad an individual no. You as a collective yes. What is good for the collective (society) may be individually good for you.
As a whole? No. Individuals within the government interacting with me? 40/60 chance against.