This Is Our Country (Sung)

David Brooks 'moderate' summary of American society:

We in this country have a distinct sort of society. We Americans work
longer hours than any other people on earth. We switch jobs much more frequently
than Western Europeans or the Japanese. We have high marriage rates and high
divorce rates. We move more, volunteer more and murder each other more.

Out of this dynamic but sometimes merciless culture, a distinct style
of American capitalism has emerged. The American economy is flexible and
productive. America’s G.D.P. per capita is nearly 50 percent higher than
France’s. But the American system is also unforgiving. It produces its share of
insecurity and misery.

This culture, this spirit, this system is not perfect, but it is our
own. American voters welcome politicians who propose reforms that smooth the
rough edges of the system. They do not welcome politicians and proposals that
seek to contradict it. They do not welcome proposals that centralize power and
substantially reduce individual choice. They resist proposals that put security
above mobility and individual responsibility.