This is a thing about a country's culture, not being wrong or right.

I'm making my college lecture on a topic related to culture. The most important writer on this is Hofstede, who discovered time ago some variables with which a culture could be measured.

One of these variables is the tendency towards individualism or collectivism. While european cultures (probably saving nordic cultures) value collectivism, US culture values individual achievements, probably as a heritage of a country founded by pioneers in the colonies.

Also, the USA didn't have direct contact with socialism/comunism during the Industrial Revolution and the Cold War.

It is ok if you prefer to have as much of your profits not being kept by the state to cover the basic needs of everyone. One of the things I admire from the US is the culture of self achievement and motivation to improve your own situation.

But it is also ok if we prefer to have some of our profits (35% of businessess profits and 30% in personal profits more or less in Spain) be used by the state to provide us with a coverage for our basic needs (basic health care, education, unemployment insurance, disablity insurance, public transports, a salary for life beyond 65 years-old,...).

Equality of opportunities means that even if you are born in the poorest estate of the poorest village you may be able, via public education, to achieve a good economic and social position in our society. Also, I think that leaving someone die because he/she doesn't have the money to pay a health insurance is inmoral.

It is a cultural matter as you may see. The thing is that most european countries agree more or less with this point of view on how to deal with social problems.

Fernando