American laziness promotes socialist government

I was reading an editorial by Laurie Oakes about the strain of anti-american sentiment witnessed in australia, in which he proposes that this trend is a misnomer. It is not actually anti-americanism, it is anti-Bush. Or, at least, a mistrust of Bush. Australians look at Bush and think, 'I don't think this bloke is all there.' The way he comes across is sometimes disconcerting and even amusing, especially the way he uses low brow expressions to discuss quite complex issues of state and foreign affairs. Americans seem to think this means that he is one of the common people, a down to earth guy. However australians and the english, who are not used to their officials speaking this way, seem to think that it means that he is not intelligent.

I actually think that socialised healthcare and unemployment benefits actually help reduce crime in society to a degree. Without it, there would be a hell of a lot of desperate people around, laid off from their job, families to feed, sanity to maintain.

If you break it down, all you are arguing for is "every man for themself". That's not very Christian of you. I'm not religious at all but I can take pride in knowing that I live in a society that helps eachother as a rule.

I guess it's got a lot to do with population sizes. It seems that the greater the population, the less the government or it's citizens care for the individual.

I guess we are just very lucky.

Actually, a recent study put JAPAN as the hardest working of the first world nations, and Australia and America about on par with eachother.

thanks,