Politicians promise change, then get elected by offering the people what they want rather than leading them to what they need. The politicians, at least the ones who aren’t just out to line their own pockets, think they’ll be able to change things once they’re in power. But people get the government they deserve, so if the government is going to change, we have to start by changing the people. And they best time to do that is during a campaign when the people are paying as much attention as they ever are, not afterwards, when the same old crew has been re-elected.
Are people poor because they can’t count? Because if they could count, they’d realize that they outnumber the rich, and could vote in someone who promises to tax the rich to pay for what they need. Of course, they need to agree on what they need.