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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]the problem with the US government is that we get very little for the money. Other countries provide much much more (e.g. "free" healthcare and college) for much less.... [/quote]

And yet The Swamp has become much more powerful and wealthier under the current POTUS.

Looking at the Swiss model, there really isn't anything that "free." People have to pay for their own healthcare and education past the age of 18. Driving and fuel are taxed to appropriately make you incur the cost of your car, pollution, and road usage. But the government there takes active steps to keep companies and individuals conforming with the law; they government creates incentives to keep costs down and to encourage people to not frivolously consume healthcare or education. The law is enforced and deviations from social codes (noise complaints, sorting your trash properly) are punished effectively and quickly.

The U.S. could do the same too, but Congress won't allow it to happen. The U.S. system is embedded with so many special interests who don't want to pay for the externalities they impose on others, want to have monopoly powers without oversight, gut the budgets of agencies would conduct real oversight, etc.  As a country, we have a very weak social contract and have no qualms with "sticking it" to our fellow citizens.

There's a very real element of criminality, under-handedness, and back-stabbing that is associated with American capitalism and power dynamics. Like I said, there's a lot of Americans who seem to confuse "freedom" with lawlessness. And if you don't like the law, you just pay the lawmakers to change it for you so you're in compliance. It's gross and uncivilized.[/quote]

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