You mean, "The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union?"
That is the full title you know...please read it again.
And I will remind you that more people still clamor to come to the United States than other country in the world.
Yes. The articles that were very clearly written to give states alot of power over the federal government. So much so that a NEW constitution was written just so the Federal Government didn't collapse because States did not want to give it tax money. (Not very uniony)
Yet you rail against Sweden?
I'm assimilating into Norwegian Culture.
See, American culture is full of self sufficiency. The idea that if you can't stand on your own, you don't deserve to be helped.
Horse hockey.
More charitable contributions originate from the US than any other nation in the world.
America is the 3rd most populated nation on Earth. America is also the richest of the top 3. Therefore, by sheer numbers, they would give more charity. Might as well compare America to South Africa. And also remember: Charity is by choice. Like throwing spare change at a homeless person. Sure, there are those who are good, generous people. But they won't give anymore than they feel comfortable giving. An amount they won't miss. And lets not forget: It's tax deductable. Ya know, so the rich will do it more. Because that's what we need: Bribing people to give to charity.
You see it in politics when senators put in ear marks to help their states, even if it costs everyone a little bit more. (like adding an extra $5,000 for a new park in a bill for authorizing weapon sales to France) You see it in the streets as people walk by a man literally bleeding to death in NYC and ignoring him. You see it in our neighbors as they "mind their own business". We Americans want for ourselves, not for others. We'll happily let a single mom struggle just so we don't have to pay extra in taxes. So we can keep OUR money. So we can be sure OUR money isn't funding LAZY people.
Yeah, again with the unsubstantiated broad brush painting.
Not really. Earmarks are a fact.
The man bleeding to death while people walked by actually happened.
And "mind your own business" is often said.
Are you going to deny these things? Did no one ever tell you "mind your own buisiness"? Did your parents never teach you to keep your nose out of other people's business?
My tax dollars are mine, by definition.
I don't need some jackass who thinks he knows better than I do determining how to spend the money I am forced to pay them.
And here we have the crux of America's problem.
Tell me, when do they stop being your tax dollars? When you pay them? When the IRS processes them? When the government spends them? When that spent money goes to someone else's paycheck?
If your tax dollars (somehow) are marked, taken out of your pay, sent into the pot, then used to hire a contractor to fix up Yellow Stone Park's visitor center and is used (partly) to pay for the plumber who fixes the leaky pipe... is it still YOUR tax money, or is now the Plumber's salary?
How about when you pay your rent/Mortgage? Is it still your money after you pay? After the bank puts it to someone's loan?