ABSTRACT
In 1776, the American army lost battle after battle, being chased out of New York and all across New Jersey. America is a vibrant perpetual motion machine made of people ready to pick up stakes, look for something better, and to try something new. Creativity is America's middle name. Americans are a generous people. In the wake of the 2004 Asian tsunami, tongues clucked that the US government gave less for relief, in relation to population, than some others. Americans consistently give to charities a higher proportion of their incomes than any other nationality—over ten times what the French give, for example. Volunteerism too is a way of life in America. Wrongs and injustices are endemic in human affairs. What makes America special is not a lack of wrongs, but a broad-spirited will to right them. Some social critics see America riven by inequality, where the rich grow richer and everyone else grows poorer.
