Bismarck's pragmatic villainy

165 points · 10 comments · view on lemmy.world

10 Comments

PonyOfWar@pawb.social · 68 pts · 122d (4 replies)

Bismarck was a master of "doing the right thing for the wrong reasons". He also created the world's first social healthcare system - mainly so working-class people wouldn't support the socialists.

PugJesus@piefed.social · 39 pts · 122d

Fucking evil genius-ass motherfucker going and doing things like "Treating subordinates with a basic modicum of welfare so they don't defect to the side of Good", while the rest of us are stuck with evil idiots who nonetheless command undying loyalty from their equally-idiotic followers.

SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 121d

Tbh, that means that the socialists worked — via the threat they posed

marcos@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 122d

Well... That's how a democracy is supposed to work. Or even a monarchy, but the support would have to be more vocal then.

RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 122d

See also: George Canning recognising Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil because it would annoy France.

Skullgrid@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 122d (4 replies)

recycled comment from : https://lemmy.world/post/36069507/19447788

I swear to fucking god that it's not even that; it's people that care for others, and people that are willfully ignorant that it's actually pragmatically cheaper and more efficient to care for others than to treat them like shit.

Pandemic as an example : the more you stay indoors and try to stop the spread of the virus, the faster the pandemic ends and the faster YOU can get back to normal. FORGET that it also stops people dying and protects the vulnerable, it's in YOUR SELFISH INTEREST.

Or having a basic system of social welfare : giving bread to a poor person costs the price of the bread. Having to imprison them, pay for cops, repair of broken things, investigations etc costs more fucking money. even if you hate people and want them to die, it's fucking CHEAPER FOR YOU.

Fucking pragmatism is meant to lead to ethical behaviour

PugJesus@piefed.social · 20 pts · 122d (2 replies)

but what if I hate people and want them to die more than I value my own possessions or life

Skullgrid@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 122d

a career in the military might be good for you. You can kill more people and help the goals of your country.

IT STILL WINS. GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, EVEN IF YOU ARE A DESPICABLE PSYCHOPATH IT STILL WORKS

valgarf@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 121d

Well in this case, can I interest you in a rule that allows everyone to carry guns? Works best as an amendment to the constitution.

A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 122d

Max Stirner: Yeah now youre getting it