[bluGill]

Most of the governments you are talking about are voted on by the people. And when the people care, the governments change. When the people don't care, yes, the government does want lots of data. However, people do often care about such things and that limits the government.

[cute_boi]

> And when the people care, the governments change.

When half of American lives paycheck to paycheck they care about putting food in table instead of petty politics or data collections.

[bluGill]

The vast majority of Americans are not working 100 hours a week just trying to get enough for the basics (goodwill clothing, food, and a shelter...). They might be living paycheck to paycheck, but it is with 40-60 hour per week job, and the are living paycheck to paycheck because they spend money when they make it (this is a sensible thing to do with most of your money - though having some emergency and retirement savings is a good idea, for most people the risk of death before they get old is too high to make saving much more sensible.).

Which is to say the vast majority have plenty of time to think about politics. They don't but that is because they choose to do other things, not because they lack time. (even those who do take the time often only think about it superficially)

[cwmoore]

Not sure how your comment relates to the one it is replying to except to appear to reject its argument in favor of another train of thought. Politics is playdoh. Tax the bots for UBI.

[bluGill]

There are many Americans who care about politics. They vote despite not needing to. They often discuss it.

[cwmoore]

Oh.

[coldtea]

>Most of the governments you are talking about are voted on by the people. And when the people care, the governments change.

People have been getting the opposite of what they explicitly vote for, for ages...

Just some recent examples:

In Europe an example is the popular sentiment against further unckecked immigration for example, and people voting politicians promising against that, and getting more.

Or how in the US how people voted someone promising no new wars, talking against foreign interventionist policy and so on, and see what they got.

[tinfoilhatter]

Voted on by the people, and yet in 2026 we have no way to actually confirm our votes are counted or factored into who gets elected. Every single US president is related, sans Van Buren, but there's no way our elections are rigged! Not sure how many corrupt politicians have to take office before people will start questioning the legitimacy of elections.

[Henchman21]

I suspect the next one will do it.