The US is the only major democracy that seems content to cheer the success of the lucky and laugh at the failure of the rest.
That has nothing to do with it. The main problem with the U.S. is that it has had 150 years of racial warfare - whites hating on blacks, blacks hating on whites. All of it has been entirely destructive, and it really needs to stop.
Try watching a couple episodes of The Corner ( http://www.amazon.com/Corner-Year-Life-Inner-City-Neighborho... ). It's based on a the account of a journalist who spent a year following a family in Baltimore. It also matches my personal experiences in working for various inner city charities. Then tell me how somehow getting rid of this alleged mantra of "self sufficiency" and "freedom" and replacing it with X will make things better.
That has nothing to do with it. The main problem with the U.S. is that it has had 150 years of racial warfare - whites hating on blacks, blacks hating on whites. All of it has been entirely destructive, and it really needs to stop.
Try watching a couple episodes of The Corner ( http://www.amazon.com/Corner-Year-Life-Inner-City-Neighborho... ). It's based on a the account of a journalist who spent a year following a family in Baltimore. It also matches my personal experiences in working for various inner city charities. Then tell me how somehow getting rid of this alleged mantra of "self sufficiency" and "freedom" and replacing it with X will make things better.