@Pat What I found more interesting about this study is how it was partly debunked by showing that children were not choosing the immediate reward of a single marshmallow over the later reward of several due to an inability to delay gratification. Later studies showed the choice was made because some children lacked trust in adults and simply did not believe and chose the immediate (and certain) reward over a delayed reward they never thought they would get since they were so used to being lied to.
I would say that in any attempt to relate this study to COVID you will find the same sort of thought process holds true. That is, many have lost trust in the government and institutions. They feel if they delay getting their rights back they may not get them back at all.
I understand. But that is basically what people votes.
Besides of the party colors, in California they made the promise that the pandemic will be over in June and in June the pandemic is over here.
Yesterday there were not new deaths by the virus. First time in a long time.
The California state government said it will help people affected by the pandemic and helped they were. Yesterday, the state published that will pay the rent of everybody unable to do it so, offering a clear start.
In Georgia, in the other hand, the government supported the Tuskegee Experiment.
In Texas, people had to pay those huge electric bills without help from the government. And they were lied. And still the local government has full support of its voters...
In America the government is us.
That makes you wonder why some regions support aberrations like the Tuskegee Experiment with no conflict. People there votes the same bad apples again and again.
It is a matter of comfort with those events... I think.
There have been no shortage of lies from the california government in the past.. To pain a governing body as honest, in any capacity, is a huge departure from reality even if we can cherry pick a few examples of carry through.
But your right, I have no idea why people keep voting for democrats and republicans who continually lie.
In Texas, politicians are used to justify each incompetence act and each corruption act with the Lonely Star legend.
When they ran out of explanations, then they start with the "This is the Texan way"
And it is not. It is incompetence or corruption.
And I am talking about decades of this behavior. Si it is not a current government thing.
Again. The Texan "freedom" is not the point. It is the lies of its government and the lack of consequences.
The horrible bills of the last energy crisis on Texas has its origin in the government and its corruption.
But people paid the bills. That is corruption. It does not matter if the is governed by dems or the GOP. It is corruption.
The point is that generally texans strongly oppose overreach of the government. This is specifically one of the "consequences" you speak of, texans have seen how often all politicians from all parties lie and as such dont trust them, the consequence is they generally vote for politicians who support limiting government power.
The end result, therefore, of the lies of the government and its consequences is the freedom texans enjoy. The consequences and freedom are closely related.
Yes texas isnt perfect (and there are more than enough examples of the government screwing up)... but again they must be doing something right considering their freedoms, doesnt mean their perfect.
What consequences? Nobody in Texas can choose to connect to the national grids (there are 2) so those users do not have this problem anymore.
They cannot go to the court to fight against the high bills (because electricity companies are shielded by law).
They are drinking in some places water with brain eating amoeba and they can do nothing about it (except buying bottled water).
I mean, if they like it, OKay. But the fact they cannot defend of the inaction of the government is basically corruption. At the very least they should have the right to go to the court for the last energy crisis.
The last governor said the local government cannot help people with thousands of dollars bills because "it is too complicated".
I do not know...
Complicated is to design an iPhone or travel to the moon. Fixing an electricity bill is easy.
They are just corrupt. And they can do it because this governor will win next elections by providing some consolation with the Lonely Star Legend and the State Wall... tell me about gullible.
What consequences?
that they tend to not vote for politicians who have a platform of increasing government power (regulations, restrictions, funding, etc). This is a direct consequence of governments having violated the trust in the past.
You are talking about a specific incident where texas dropped the ball. I am not claiming texas is perfect, you will find wrong doing from governments in literally every single state, and by the handful.
On the other hand I am speaking more generally and pointing out that part of the consequences, which manifests in how the voters vote, that distrust of the government is why they have some of the greatest freedoms of any state.
But, no state being perfect, there are plenty of examples of problems, but that isnt the best way to evaluate the big picture, by looking at isolated examples.