America used to love trains. America's issue and problem is we love to pretend everyone is their own self-contained island and social responsibility is something we don't have to get into. It's every man for himself instead of were all in this together.
It could also be put as 'rugged individualism.' That is, someone can go as far as s/he can and nobody can hold him/her back because whatever is the goal just 'isn't done.'
America was not founded on group think. really, it wasn't. 'Social responsibility' has been taken care of by smaller groups; local churches, granges, groups of like minded individuals who find each other, rather than a culture which raises its children like the Chinese and Japanese, telling them that the group is the important thing.
To Americans, the individual is the important thing. Individuals who are too selfish, who don't accept their social responsibility to others, soon find that their own goals are impeded; social responsibility is vital.
It's a difference in outlook that could be difficult to understand. It is for me...I do not understand how anybody could live his or her life without personal choice; putting his or her own goals second to the 'group.' A 'group' is not an entity. It's SUPPOSED to be a collection of individuals who have similar goals and ideals...but the individual should come first. THEN the group.
What I see happening now, (and it works in China, Japan, etc...) is the group comes first and only then, if the group approves, does an individual have freedom to do...anything.
It reminds me of 'Brave New World' and Ayn Rand's "Anthem." You know the one...where the hero was never taught that the word 'I' existed?
So when I see folks talking about how the government should mandate this thing, or that one...that it should decide what 'social responsibility' is FOR me, I start having nightmares.
I'm especially nervous, because I happen to belong to an organization that is better at 'social responsibility' (read...welfare...) than the government ever has been. We're better at it. More efficient. Serve more people per capita, and it is all volunteer. WE choose whether to contribute to that or to something else, and nobody tells us that we have to, or just takes our money so that someone else can define 'social responsibility' for us.
The fact that more conservatives contribute more to charity both in money and in time is a pretty good indication that Americans...who give and give and give and give....know what 'social responsibility' is. We just figure that we don't need to be told that we aren't socially responsible in the politically approved manner.
And THAT is why Americans are who we are.
And this post is way too heavy for a celebration of a cross country bike route. Sorry....