Some general observations (I make some assertions without proof, feel free to provide contradictory data): 1.) Compared to other western countries, Americans are significantly more religious. Religious folk seem to see life's problems as being between themselves and God, and don't have much use for the government. BTW I don't mean this as a criticism. 2.) The US has always embraced small town and rural culture and disdained urban life. Rural and small-town people typically depend on themselves, their family, and their neighbors for survival, and don't have much use for the government. In other western countries, the urban elite seem to have more influence, and they look down on country folk as backward. And urban existence, with its dependence on a complex infrastructure, depends heavily on having an effective government (go visit Mogadishu if you don't believe me). 3.) Americans have come to expect government initiatives to fail. They consider a career working for the government (except in the areas of law enforcement and national security) as a refuge for the incompetent. Largely a self-fulfilling prophecy.
As a consequence, Americans don't see themselves as getting much return for their tax dollars, and so they basically feel they are being robbed. I am not prepared to say whether they are right or wrong. Having grown up and lived all my life in the US, it always amazes me that people in countries like France are not afraid to trust their health care entirely to government employees. On the other hand, I can't ignore the ample evidence that supports this conclusion. ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
