The most obvious trend we see in the European Union and, unfortunately, in the USA, is that government "planning" and tampering has caused a "dependence" away from oneself to that of believing that the "government" (which is a misnomer in iteself because the government is the taxpayer), will, and should, provide for their practical needs: housing, welfare, income, health insurance, etc. Democratic Republics were NEVER instituted to provide all this for the individual - it was up to him or her and their family. We have become, more and more, the "Nanny" state, and then , the natural progression is that invidividuals become dependent on the "government" for their "lifesytle" and support. In this way we get Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, and others who are rioting in the streets because they have to retire at 62 instead of 60 and have to work 38 hours a week instead of 32, and they have to take a cut in pay because the system cannot support the level of entitlements that they have come to expect! This is too bad, because a "government" should never come to this point. It should exist to protect the right of the individual to pursue their "happines" whatever they deem fit and not what some "bureaucracy", czars, or committee deems is "fitting". This produces no "fairness" because someone will, inevitable, lose their rights to support the "rights" that the few deem fitting.