Quote Originally Posted by Cloth Ears
For the richest country in the world - what is your problem with charity and chipping in to help???
Not to beat the same drum as everyone else, but maybe an explanation is in order. To begin, Americans give more to charity than any other Western nation. The difference is that it is voluntary rather than through taxes. Ever since that infamous tea party, Americans have had a bit of a problem with taxes. (It's actually quite ironic that Americans now spend more on taxes than any other Western nation, but I digress). For better or for worse, our country is based on the fundamental belief that the individual, not the government, knows better what to do with the money that that individual earns. We believe that by doing what is best for the individual, that this then benefits society as a whole. It all started with this poignant little book called An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

I think this goes a long way in explaining why we have a bit of a problem with a government-run healthcare system - it goes against every fiber of our being. Essentially, it is again one way that the government is telling us what to do with our money. Our track-record with letting the government do things with our money isn't that good of late (bailing out AIG comes to mind). For many Americans, the only reason that individualism isn't working and spreading a thousand points of light to every dark corner is because it is hampered by socialist influences. If it were just left alone, in a completely deregulated free-market environment (no taxes, no government, no military entanglements... just ref. Ron Paul, and you'll get the idea...) then the invisible hand would ensure that there would be no beggars, no sick, no abortions, no foreclosures, no medicaire crisis, no Iraq war, no hunger, no terrrists, no oil embargoes, no bogeymen, and on down the yellow brick road....