Yes, I suppose you're right we live under different governments so the political climate is different. Being under socialist democracy has turned us into a welfare state with the majority of the country looking for a handout. Free education, free house, free money and there simply isn't enough to go around and when they don't get their way its looting and riots until some politician promises the freebie train will continue
They've just increased the VAT (value added tax) on all products to cover the latest shortfall and its only going to serve to squeeze the middle class reduce buying power and push some further into the working and poorer classes
Having said that I'm sure there are still similarities when it comes to the way tax is spent, im sure the US government is just as bloated as the South African one and plenty of those taxes never reach the correct programs because they are sucked up by salaries and programs that were funded but never got off the ground.
Free house?!? Are you serious? We don't have that. We have a lot of homelessness and "couch surfing". Whenever I make phone calls for political purposes, I find that a small fraction of the frequent voters are homeless. These are the most engaged citizens in the community, and they don't have a stable address.
When I say this is because the government supports speculation in real estate over housing everyone, people are baffled. They don't see the government playing an active part in encouraging the market. They just say to raise taxes to pay for homeless shelters and some housing. When I suggest public housing, most of the people disagree (if they even know what public housing is), and then suggest "affordable housing", which, they don't know, is just privatized public housing -- but it's structured to help keep the private real estate aloft, or to even increase its value -- it's the rich using the poor as a vehicle to increase their own wealth. (Again, I say this, and they think I'm nuts.)
Mostly, though, they ignore the homeless people, and fear them. When they become visible, the police are called. Sometimes, if they are mentally ill, something goes wrong, and the police end up killing the person. People don't really care, most of the time.
Our taxes are probably higher, but a big chunk of that money goes to pay for invasions of small countries that most American people cannot locate on the map.
Yes if you earn less than 300 dollars a month you are entitled to apply for a free house. The waiting list as you can imagine is quite long but what people do once they get one irks me. Instead of now having a stable address and now using that as a platform to go out and look for work, they actually build an informal home on the property or live with relatives and then rent the home out for additional income to those who are still on the waiting list. Giving away things like homes for free is never going to solve much, yes it does give hope to some but it doesnt encourage pride, ownership and the will to better yourself
Oh I completely agree that government supports policy to increase and keep the housing market out of reach for most its cronyism and exploiting as many people as possible, stripping them of their dignity and making them feel powerless, this is how you keep them docile and can continue to strip away parts of their income through various policies and so-called public institutions.
Oh for sure your taxes fund some of the most heinous crimes known to mankind but you're America what can we say about it? The US can strong arm pretty much anyone to get what they want! Its also the reason why anyway we can reduce government power and reach I feel is a good thing, absolute power corrputs and we know this!