I'm certainly not trying to win more liberal-than-thou competitions on DU, or claim any unusual degree of empathy. I'd fail miserably if I tried either. I personally would probably be better off with Republicans in charge, certainly no worse off now my kid is grown and I am perforce asexual. I'm not likely to get to any NYC money-raising salons soon but I am unashamedly financially comfortable and prefer a vanilla suburban lifestyle.
But what about where I as an individual stop? No, again I'm not pretending to be a crusading liberal altruist. I've marched in parades a few times but never risked arrest or life and limb for any cause. But we are talking here about votes and donations and campaign volunteering. I do that at least, and always for Dems. Not because of what's best for me but what's best for all. Even this is not altruism but utilitarianism. Society functions better when everyone has a chance to contribute and is equipped and allowed to do so, and the basic universalization principle says that what I want the right and freedom to do should belong to others where it generates more benefit than harm. I am, I confess with no great shame, a selfish altruist in this regard, with selfishness universalized to my society as well as myself.
Perhaps the asinine "no difference" commentary comes from a belief that only, say, military spending or drone usage or banking regulations are important, and that equal rights and the preservation of some basic social safety net don't matter to people like them, or even me (because again on a purely individual solipsistic level, they don't). Even if you live such an incredibly blinkered worldview, common sense tells you that Dems have a better chance at making the right calls there. It was Bill Clinton, regularly demonized here, who started trimming the Pentagon's superfluous bases and programs. It was the piece of shit used car salesman Obama who drew down Afghan forces and signed Dodd-Frank. No matter what your shibboleths or how left-wing your purity, yoiu will always always always have a better chance of benefit AND much reduced harm (why does everyone forget that latter part?) ror them with Dems in charge. I just realize that is important not just for my own personal benefit or views but for the society's to which I belong too. What's wrong with voting for societal benefit?
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