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One theory goes that the left has no genuine interest in improving its voters' circumstances, because a more empowered individual has less need of the state to look after them, and thus would be less likely to vote for the left. The corollary is that it is in the left's electoral interests to attempt to disempower, impoverish and weaken the greatest number of voters as possible, because then said voters will see that their best interests would be served by the party that 'looks after them', and would vote for socialism en masse.