The thing is, in a democratic society, what people get is simply what the majority wants

This is why we don't live in pure democracies but representational democracies - to put guard rails against the tyranny of the majority.

they will not choose to give up what they have for the benefit of others. Coercing people to make concessions for "the community" when their own lives are not comfortable serves only to foment resentment. Forced altruism is false altruism.

And that is why even with the "printer goes brrrr" concept of printing money with crypto, you still have resentment against a reward pool or funding pool being used for things that the majority doesn't see immediate selfish value in.

Which brings me back to my point. We might not like taxes or government, but some form of community leadership and community contribution to things that don't benefit us personally are necessary.

One of the two makerspaces I am a part of is all volunteer. The wood folks wanted to spend money on a new filtration upgrade. We all paid for it. The laser cutter needed a new lens and suddenly THAT expense was too much because the wood shop folks don't use the laser. If it was put to a vote the laser would be put out of action and one of the few things that attracts people to become a member during tours and open days would not be usable. Fortunately a new lens was less than the elected director's spending limit so the laser got repaired.

Should the laser have been left unusable because the laser users couldn't afford to pay out of pocket and the majority didn't use the laser?