Interesting story: Brazilian cash "handout" program working wonders for the poor

[CrispyQ]

7. We're all in this together & when we build societies based on that premise, we all do better.

America has embraced hyper-individualism - we value the individual over the community. IMO, it's part of why our culture is a cesspool. We've gone along with the attitude that just because an individual has the right to do/say something, they should be allowed to do/say it. A decent culture sets standards & says, OK, maybe you have the right to do that, but it's not going to be something we encourage, & in fact, some types of behavior should be actively discouraged. The Duck Dynasty thing comes to mind. Sure, Robertson (?) has the right to express his bigotry, but as a culture, we also have a right to say we don't want to hear it & to discourage talk/behavior that damages the community.

As an aside, it seems that western masculinity is also based on hyper-individualism. The media portrays today's ultimate man as a guy who does everything on his own, never asks for help, & doesn't need anyone. We could undo so much damage if we would simply embrace community, if we would learn that there has to be a balance between individuals & community.