Spaniards do not vote rationally or make rulers pay for their excesses
In our failed Spain, per capita income has remained the same for two decades; on average, each government (led by Zapatero, Rajoy, Sánchez) has indebted Spain with 4,100 million euros a month; division of powers is broken; private property is breached; there is no legal male/female equality; the middle class is disappearing; 3.5 million Spaniards want to work; some can, but work precariously; education is politicised by socialism and separatism; the law is not met in separatist areas; the pensions of 11 million Spaniards is financed with debt; the birth rate is negative because there are no stable jobs, abortion is promoted and families have no aid; illegal immigration grows; totalitarian laws are passed; private activity reduces and public activity increases; there are no overseas, energy or defence policies; all Spaniards spend half a year of their income paying taxes (income tax + VAT); politicians are not accountable to citizens. We support a dictatorship with ballot boxes. Spaniards cannot keep voting politicians who ruin us, those who systematically lie or those who steal our freedom. Voting is moral action because it affects others’ lives. Aristotle was wrong about our rationality; what is irrational is the norm, emotion prevails. Rational action is that which bears in mind someone’s knowledge, is more likely to reach its target. If we are in this situation for how we vote, we will have to change. We cannot reach somewhere different if we take the same route. Social and emotional biases make rationality difficult. There are seven electorally irrational biases: traditionalist; revanchist; utilitarian; fans; reversible, fearful and youths. Traditionalists are moderate, respect family middle class tradition, vote what the family always votes no matter who the candidate. They interpret it as an (almost religious) obligation and are unconditional to PP. Revanchists are tied to a dead ancestor, vote against current politicians who have nothing to do with the war and transfer resentment, and pass on irrationality, to offspring. Their votes support totalitarian parties, the post-Zapatero Orwellian PSOE, communists and separatists. Utilitarians seek a “useful” vote, typical of those resigned who vote who they always do, although they mistrust because propaganda shows another extremist party as dangerous. The so-called “useful vote” (i.e., voting against what is thought as a lesser evil) is perverse for not representing what one thinks, and is put to good use by totalitarians who handle surveys. Votes must be sincere. Calculating utilities is not citizens’ task; lying is always a mistake. Fans show masculine electoral conduct, take the view of football team fans and are, shall we say, sentimental. They see elections as a sports competition and want their colours to win. They do not care who the candidate is; they interpret voting like practicing a hobby and always find reasons far from rationality for public management. They always vote the same, are extremely loyal and know nothing about major changes to the party. “Reversible voters” are instructed, but unsure voters. They are normally clear about their side, but doubt the party. They are like utilitarians and fans, but move. They change their vote, but if their former option might win again, they opt for the potential winner. They frequently appear as voters doubting between PP and VOX. Fearful voters tend to the elderly, pensioners with health problems, are easily impressionable by any uncertainty. They believe they owe their rights to the government and believe its lies. They do not vote new parties. Finally, youths include those voting for the first time. They are truly a mixed bag and also irrational because being rational means voting against recent governments that do not solve their unemployment, and such huge debt condemns them to a deteriorated “welfare state”. We are at the crossroads of contrary, familiar influences, socialist educational indoctrination, not trusting politicians. The rational vote should seek to reduce public and patronage spending, lower taxes, because that is the only way to improve the economy. If it does not happen soon, the rebellion will not be Catalan separatism, but those who hunger for bread and freedom.
Post published in Las Provincias