Sociology: Why do Americans give more money and time to charity than Europeans?

[KipIngram]

Yes, I think the UN is great as well in the "Babylon 5" style - a place to work out our differences. I don't support having it making decisions that are binding on the member nations. For that the discussions in the UN should lead to a treaty executed per the various mechanisms specific to the individual nations.

 

Regarding decentralization, I think the federal government should enforce the honoring of citizen rights under the Constitution - no state should be able to "reduce the freedoms" granted by the Constitution. Similarly re: the states vs. the localities. So the each "higher government" should make sure the "lower governments" within its jurisdiction are "playing by the rules."

 

Some things do need to be organized nationally, like national defense, for instance. Other things don't. I'm for each thing being organized at its own appropriate level.

[swansont]

Depends on your definition of charity - I still think of foreign aid as charity. I do not think it is unrelated as you are saying at all. Foreign aid (charity) is not the end of it though, contributions from taxes were mentioned several times in the thread by people other than me.... even in the OP.

 

 

Foreign aid includes military assistance; it goes to the government. Other aid has strings attached as a way of exerting political pressure (e.g. the US's global gag rule that prevents anyone getting assistance from informing women of all of their reproductive health options) Not something I'd put under the heading of "charity".