This weeks article "As Good as it Gets" was interesting, comparing
the Netherlands with the US and talking about major differences involving
taxes, benefits, retirement, and health care. It was looking at
different ways of doing things.
I believe that Americans are greedy.
I think that everyone wants a piece of the pie and are always thinking about
how they can improve THEMSELVES, THEIR homes, and THEIR families. It doesn’t
make them bad people but that’s just how our country works, it is how we are
influenced. Americans don’t want the government to tax us and take money out of
our checks to go towards taking care of other people. It seems wrong to take
their hard earned money away from them. Welfare for example is state money
given to assist people. Lots of people disagree with this concept it seems
absurd to them welfare recipients are not drug tested while the American tax
payer is drug tested in order to work and earn money, that is later taken out
of their pay check. There are also people in America that would like to be more
like the Netherlands and have high taxes so that when they retire or they are
hurt they don’t have to pay so much money for heathcare. Me being one of them. With having said that the article
also informs us of how the different countries look at responsiveness. In the
US people want something in return immediately. People like to SEE change
quickly, they want results. Everything is high paced and high stressed with the
hussle and bussle of life you need immediate care it has become what is
expected.
I will agree that Americans and our society are greedy on the bare definition, with our ideals of little to no taxation, huge houses, over arming, and uneconomical cars. There are plenty of examples of low tax iffy nations out there, they aren't pretty and I hope that America doesn't become one. But we still have plenty of veins of silver amonst the tin and lead. Many of us are open minded, will let travelers sleep on our couchs, give rides to hitchikers, donate, volunteer, live resposably, and vote. Great review.
ReplyDeleteWe have created a country that wants everything right now, we want it big, and better then the next guy. But there are some who are not like this and I think our nation is now realizing that we have to reevaluate a lot of things, Healthcare, caring for our elderly, education etc... Change is slow and once accustomed to something it is hard to change. I think big change is needed in a lot of areas, but it will take a lot of baby steps to even start change due to the amount of bureaucracy in this country.
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