Killer,

It really is the cultural aspect I was alluding to. American's have became spoiled after 50 years of economic dominance. What probably makes Germany successful in multiple areas is a citizenary that takes their education seriously, works hard and doesn't have an expectation of instant gratification in all things. Somewhere along the line we forgot that even in the most prosperous nation in the world you usually have to work your ass off for what you want. It has ceased to shock me when I meet people that fumbled through highschool, got a useless degree, don't look to excel at whatever job they did find and are schocked that the American dream hasn't just happened for them. Not to go on a tangent but the fact that so many Americans just expect good things to happen for them regardless of their effort makes even more wary of expanded federal programs. Our citizens, corporations and government need a realyl big dose of self accountability.