I’m sitting in a coffee shop over-hearing a couple of men talking about how not paying taxes if this healthcare bill goes through (and no doubt, it’ll be signed soon).

Shortly after I over-hear that conversation, I went to RealClear Politics to see an op-ed by a Brit praising the passage of the health-care bill here by the U.S. Gov’t. Honestly, I believe that most in America share the opinion of the guys sipping coffee at the table next to me, than with the British columnist praising the increase in socialism.

A huge difference, I think, between our cultures is that the British culture is one of massive government, ruling classes, and a general view of the State as being a good.

Here in America, our culture was born of escaping government, of throwing off class structures, and of viewing the State of evil … or at best, a “necessary evil.” Ours is a culture born of an anarchist spirit. As Voltairine de Cleyre once pointed out, we even call it the American Revolution, instead of the English War, or something similar.

Jacob G. Hornberger wrote a reminder in the preface to Sheldon Richman’s book Your Money or Your Life:

When government had no power to take away people’s income, not even to fight poverty, the result was the wealthiest society ever. And this occurred despite the massive numbers of penniless immigrants who were flooding America’s shores, escaping the European lands of government guarantees against poverty to come to a the land where no such guarantees existed.

But there was another result. When people were free to accumulate wealth, the result was also the most charitable period that mankind had ever seen. When the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in the nineteenth century, he marveled at all the voluntary building of churches, museums, opera houses, libraries, and universities.

I expect this to mark an avalanche of anti-government sentiment. Already we have seen a massive growth in Counter-economic activity in America. We have seen a wave of people calling for Revolution, of openly stating they are “Going Galt,” and wondering what the State can do that the Market cannot do better in every way.