The London Times wrote last week, “What is still striking is the gap between charitable giving in Britain and America. Partly this is because government in America has historically not been involved in areas of public life such as health, university education or social welfare, that have long been a state responsibility in Britain. Partly it is because Americans are brasher at wanting to see their names on brass plaques.
Not sure why that attribute it to more public services.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6811736/
From that article
"The three-minute silence, an idea suggested by the Dutch Prime Minister and which also had mass European participation, was regarded by a few as an inappropriate gesture.
Max Hastings a columnist at the British right-wing tabloid Daily Mail wrote “nothing seems more likely to diminish it [British sympathy] than the embarrassing mawkish, tasteless, repugnant gesture of decreeing an official three-minute silence for them today.” Hastings felt that the three-minute silence would also diminish the two-minute commemoration of the men and women who fell during the two world wars. However, the overwhelming numbers of Briton’s who took part in the silence seemed to reduce this notion to a minority view."
I've always hated the Daily Mail. Do you think that the fact that it was suggested by the one of those "continental" Europeans had anything to do with Hastings distaste for it?
I've always hated the Daily Mail. Do you think that the fact that it was suggested by the one of those "continental" Europeans had anything to do with Hastings distaste for it?
Yeah, I thought that was pretty odd. At least the right wing wackos have been marginalized in the UK and haven't become the mainstream like here.... :roll:
Traditionally Americans, as private individuals, do give more to charity than Europeans - although it is almost exclusively to domestic charities.
There are many different influences - the tax system - in Britain we have PAYE so most people don't consider tax deductions, over here it is sometimes essential.
Also 'charity' is a loose term and doesn't necessarily mean the same thing. Religions are charities in both the UK and the US but religion is much bigger here and much more comercially orientated.
However other things are charities here that either are not in Britain or are - but on a miniscule scale. Donantions to NPR/PBS are tax deductible - your TV licence in Britain isn't; donations to some Hospitals here - such as those run by the Catholic Church (Caritas) are tax deductible - whereas the NHS is funded through taxation.
The public sector argument gets put up a lot by the Right - part of the 'small government' argument. However it really doesn't hold water economically. If you want to run effective services you need to be able to think strategically and plan for the long term. Also you don't want to be hostage to the fashions and prejudices of private individuals.
Its worth noting that countries with effective (and often high)taxation and government funded services tend to have better services, whether that be healthcare, education or public transportation. sweden, Finland, France, the Netherlands for example). America fails miserably in all these areas - even though in the case of Healthcare, it pays considerably more than any other nation on the planet.
Of note, per capita - America gives very little in interbnational aid - less than $40 per person per year. The Netherlands, the most generous on this statistic - gives nearly ten times as much.