Hi Dave,

Britain has been a socialist society since the second world war and for the next 30-40 years after we were the envy of the world due to our National Health Service and the social security system. The NHS means that everybody who is ill will be treated and cured if possible regardless of status, our social security system provides a safety net for the poorest people so that they do not have to resort to crime just to live. Europe is similar.

The rich would like to "go American" and do away with these things (so they can pay less tax) but they really do not understand the consequences of your "free market economy", having poor people starve or die from curable illness's would make us a 3rd world country and the change in society would result in far more unrest, crime and corruption.

The British people are very prone to violent rebellion, we have always had a comfortable secure living, if our government takes away these hard fought for 'rights', we will be doing far more than the peaceful protests and occasional riots that the past 50 years have seen. The first time that our police force have to use guns on public disorder, it will herald a civil war.

The answer is that the rich must pay more taxes for their own security because if they do not, the poor will kill them and redistribute the wealth amongst themselves, look through history and see what happened to all oppressive societies. Look at your own history and see what happened when the British decided you weren't paying enough tax for your tea!! You rebelled and set yourself free from British rule. Nothing ever changes without bloodshed and democracy should be "by the people for the people", and the vast majority of people are poor so why are we ruled by the rich, why is it every decision made by our respective governments is for the benefit of the rich and to the detriment of the poor ... is this the democracy that we, as country's, fought and died for, I think not!!

I wish I could be more optimistic about the future, I wish I could persuade the rich that capitalism will destroy our societies and that they must relinquish their wealth and power in favour of a more socialist and fairer society but I fear the only way they will understand this is when they are put on trial for the crimes they have committed against humanity.

America likes to think that it is a "Christian" country but I think that Europe is far more Christian with it's socialism and tolerant attitudes towards it's people. America needs to become more socialist but the way the tide is flowing, it is Europe who is becoming Americanised and I can't see this as a good thing, in fact unless the power of the rich is curbed I can only see a lot of bloodshed ahead. The poor will win of coarse due to numbers but at what cost!!

I can see that in the distant future we will be subject to India and China, our time has come and gone.