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Rosen would still demand, no doubt, an explanation of why the ruling class is so good at identifying and promoting its interests, while the majority is not. But, again, there is an obvious answer: for isn’t it generally quite easy to identify your short-term interests when the status quo is to your benefit? In such circumstances, you favor the status quo! In other words, if the status quo provides tangible benefits to the few—lots of money, prestige, and power—is it any surprise that the few are well-disposed to the status quo, and are particularly good at thinking of ways to tinker with the status quo to increase their money, prestige, and power? By contrast, it is far trickier for the many to assess what is in their interest, precisely because it requires a counterfactual thought experiment, in addition to evaluating complex questions of socio-economic causation. More precisely, the many have to ascertain that the status quo—the whole complex socio-economic order in which they find themselves--is not in their interests ; there are alternatives to the status quo which would be more in their interest; and it is worth the costs to make the transition to the alternatives—to give up on the bad situation one knows in order to make the leap in to a better unknown. Obstacles to the already difficult task of making determinations and —let alone —will be especially plentiful, precisely because the few are strongly, and effectively , committed to the denial of and . (en) |
