Asklemmy

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.

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.

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.

No, our government only cares about profiting off the expense of other people and shilling out to corporations.

-Good ole US of A

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.

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'?

No lol

England, absolutely not. those tory motherfuckers would kill me to make a profit and that's barely an exaggeration

I'm transgender, so, that would be a no from me

Literally nobody has ever said this lol

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.

Absolutely not

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...

You ad an individual no. You as a collective yes. What is good for the collective (society) may be individually good for you.

No. They care about their interests. Hence I'm anti government

As a whole? No. Individuals within the government interacting with me? 40/60 chance against.

Congress has proven to me over and over again that they don't, it's not about what I believe anymore.

"Governments are just bodies of people, usually notably ungoverned."

As a whole? Maybe. As individuals, I think some do and some don’t. As a whole, I think the government is designed in a way that responds to my interests, which is about as close to “caring” that a non-sentient system can get.

Smaller govts, like here in Norway, is just people doing what they can and has been educated to do. This faceless govt that a lot of people are describing, I cant imagine it here. It is built of people anyone can talk to. So yes, the government and the system cares about us as a whole. Not for me personally, though. Common good.

Some politicians and govt workers are completely self-serving, of course, even here.

As another commenter mentioned, the government (the state) is not a person and cannot care.

Government and the state are tools. The thing about some tools is that they are really only useful towards certain ends. The state is fundamentally a tool of maintaining and expanding power. While it's possible for those with power to do some good things, their overall effect is to allow the domination of most by the few.

Government requires a state to function, a state as in a subset of the population claiming exclusive acceptable use of force in a given area.

I think most of the elected officials care to some degree, they just aren’t good at correctly choosing reliable sources of determining what is actually in the best interest of the people.

The government is only as interested as I personally can influence the government. Almost not at all, but if they do something absolutely harmful to everyone, the government will have to listen to the people.

Sorry yall downvote away but I gotta bring up covid in this context. oh yeah sure, after decades of not giving two shits about us suddenly the government is concerned for our health and safety? No one else found that to be immediately sus as hell?