Why bother with America?

I've been considering lately the dialog regarding the stimulus package put together by the federal government. There have been and will be many commenting on the respective positions of the different parties and their arguments regarding why we should or should not be printing/spending the money and 'creating debt for our children's children'. I have to admit that I am actually more 'for' than 'against' the plan put forward. Against because it is a compromise built to satisfy too many different diverse POVs therefore not nearly enough to do the job right and for it because I honestly believe that doing nothing in relation to specific aspects of the problem would result in more harm than good.

But that's not what this is about. This is about a rationale that I have heard for not helping those Americans that are suffering during this real ‘financial crisis’ as it becomes a main focus of the public discourse. It appears that people are complaining about 'helping' their fellow Americans. Comments like "Why should I bail out my neighbor when I did everything right and they screwed up?" or "They're redistributing wealth and that’s socialism/communism/anti-American.".

All of these arguments ignore one very simple point. Helping the 'others' that are being disparaged is helping other AMERICANS. You know, your fellow citizens. These are some of the people that make up the country that we are all supposed to love and work to make better. It's amazing to me that this very simple fact seems to have been removed from the equation. Americans don't appear to look at each other as fellow citizens of "The Greatest Country on Earth" but as competitors for a shrinking piece of a dying relative’s fortune. Everyone for himself and damned those that fall to the wayside. We don't even appear to like one another.

Personally I find a grand contradiction in the assumption that not helping your fellow citizens is a manifestation of good citizenship. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling anyone what they should do with their money that they earn through honest work and effort. If an individual embraces greed and couldn't care less about their fellow citizen’s pain and suffering, fine, everyone to their own. But I’m confused how someone can claim to be a good American while turning their backs on their fellow citizens when it's obvious that there is need. I hope that’s not what people consider ‘American’.

Now the questions. If that attitude is American then why should a society that would turn it’s back on those in need or who have made a mistake be saved as a nation? Why not let it fall apart and let those who survive do whatever they want with what’s left?