Ted Kennedy

Op-Ed Columnist - The Great Gradualist - NYTimes.com: "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"

The above is the reason for why Ted Kennedy did not become president, if I understand David Brooks right. People have been writing for three days about him now and it is clear from the bipartisan response that Chappaquiddick is forgotten. In America you get a second chance. Brooks don't even mention it.

The above is also an interesting description of the American society that is useful to compare with the Swedish and with the "Föregångsland" thing that Fredrik Reinfeldt did yesterday. In Sweden we want to improve the quality of the welfare state, a concept the Americans don't even talk about with their 46m uninsured.

Brooks seem to say that the US is united. It have not seemed like this during the health insurance debate. I still have hopes that President Obama will make the US more "European" by passing a good health care bill. I still think Dangerous Nation needs to modernize its social sector while keeping up its competitiveness. Otherwise we might see in Europe that the welfare is going to loose out to the competitiveness.