Thanksgiving for what?

I often wonder why people who live in a "free" country (Americans) don't get the support from the government that they should be entitled to.

The government where I live (Australia) has the following benefits:
* Government supported health care
* A proper retirement (super-annuation) fund
* Doesn't have a patriot act (which takes away your freedoms easily enough).
* Educations (yes plural) paid for to University, and College.  You pay it back AFTER you make so much ($30,000 I think) per year.
* Cops in general don't abuse you like they do in the states.

Not only that, but now there is a depression looming in America which is inevitable.  There are wars being fought (money being lost for some other country / corporation) for some reason or another and all based off of greed.  I am positive there are more failings from the US government that I'm unaware of.  There are probably good things too, but I can't think of any.  Just because something once was, isn't a reason to keep hope that it will be now, or soon will be again.  It's weird that tradition is so beaten into Americans at every age and that because of that, some just don't (understandably) see the real world.  Americans just don't (or at least didn't) seem to be able to see the world through the propaganda.

Why would you be happy, and into giving thanks for such a fucked country now?  The American people are now also trying to get the rich to see them with the occupy movements.  Is anything except using more tax paying dollars being achieved?  I don't have answers for these directly.  What I can say is stop being patriotic to a once was, and go find ex-patriotism in some other country who looks after their citizens, AND most importantly, a country who looks after permanent residents too!  Australia looks after permanent residents, AND citizens.  I'm promoting Australia here, but I am sure there are other commonwealth countries who have similar policies.  The problem with emigrating is age.  Up until 30 years of age, Australia (perhaps other commonwealths too) makes it quite easy to immigrate to.

While the average American wage seems to be higher per year than Australia, why is it that Australians have a higher quality of life?  That last statement is purely based on my own observations, so it's by no means a complete researched statement.  I just don't get it.  Kids working at McDonalds in Australia make more than adults in the USA at McDonalds.  That's just plain weird.

I'm unsure why today Americans would be celebrating a has been tradition of giving thanks.  Give thanks for what? Give thanks for a government who takes advantage of you, and cares nothing for you?  The statements above aren't capitalistic viewpoints of course, and when you're running a democratic republic based on capitalism, I guess thats' what happens.  The viewpoint of a capitalist society seems to be, why should my taxes go to better my fellow countrymen, and therefore making my country stronger, and smarter, but instead give that extra money to those who can afford an education???  I guess that's why 99% of you are ignorant, or didn't care enough until you lost your comfort to do anything.

Meh, glad I fucking emigrated when I did.

* edit, MacDonalds? nah, McDonalds :)
* Yes, I focused on Americans while the rest of the world (that I've seen) seems to be similar in some regards.