America is a study of narcissism. Its founding documents spell out the freedoms the individual is assumed to possess, simply by virtue of birth, but do little to lay any groundwork for society, the collection of individuals. The supremacy of the individual transfers upward to the states, which are viewed as semi-co-operative countries more than parts of a greater society, and a favorite theme of American politics has continually been the threat of separation from the larger nation. Any mention of of a collective good for the larger society is met with fierce resistance born out of a fear that the individual might have to sacrifice some measure of wealth or personal choice in the process, especially among those who have the least measure of either. The result is a nation of individuals straddling poverty and anarchy, proudly independent of their best interests.
