Most of our ideas we got from the continent at some point, I'm not really sure that its really all that accurate to call them "American Ideals", you have plenty of people just salivating to slip you social protections.  I also disagree that our culture and society were created to benefit the upper crust-they've figured out how to get the reins, but I seem to have read about them getting the reins in Europe a time or two also, so I think maybe a little more precision might be in order.

The fundamental problem is the struggle to contain power, and to diffuse it safely into broader contexts, right now we are at a very bad place and our old-style of Federal system is difficult to move, especially when the corpocracy has gained such control, but thats a problem that crosses boundaries.

"I said, 'Wait a minute, Chester, You know I'm a peaceful man...'" Robbie Robertson