Fundamentally, American society is composed of individuals who don't go out of their way to do each other favours.

This desire for equity must not lead to an excess of welfare, where nobody is responsible for anything.

Yes, the European model remains superior to that of America and Japan.

The European model is in danger if we obliterate the principle of personal responsibility.

My problem is how to find the best way of being useful.

The problem of how we finance the welfare state should not obscure a separate issue: if each person thinks he has an inalienable right to welfare, no matter what happens to the world, that's not equity, it's just creating a society where you can't ask anything of people.

The unions may continue to decline, but if they do, it'll be their fault.