I'm embarrassed that people put so much stock in a gloss of Steinbeck. The original text that is paraphrased to produce this ``quotation'' says something completely different than what people ascribe to it.
"Ferengi workers don't want to stop the exploitation, we want to find a way to become the exploiters."
--Rom, DS9
Because people only vote based on how it will directly impact their bank accounts, not as though values like freedom and independence are deeply imbedded into our society.
And a lot of us believe that individualist freedom and independence tend to grow proletarian bank accounts along with the bourgeouis'.