Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Hi Xenophon,
I think the attitude in the UK, certainly, is that we should not have to rely on philanthropists for things like healthcare, education, libraries, concert halls, etc. They are a part of the "infrastructure" of society that it's the government's role to provide. Indeed, if that is not what the government's role is - to keep people healthy, well-educated, and with access to culture - one might well ask what it is that we have a government for at all!
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And yet, there is a commonly held view in the UK that we should 'tax the rich' to solve our problems - a sort of enforced philanthropism.
('Rich' being defined as 'someone wealthier than me'.)
Imho, there is some truth in the view that a few people outside the US blame the U.S.A. for everything - but this is a minority opinion, even if it is expressed loudly.
There also seems to be a minority view in the U.S.A. that the rest of the world aspires to be like them.
I think both views are only held by a small proportion of the respective populations - but it is annoying when one hears them aired, since neither is true.
