If working harder than the people around you, will actually get you a better life than they get, many ambitious people will work harder. They are not stupid, however. If working harder than the people around you will not get you ahead of those who don't put forth that extra effort, you would be stupid to do it. The reason that this country is a great country is that there is the commonly held belief that hard work will be rewarded. It is the light that drives this country. The rich will remain rich but will not invest as they use to. Innovation will hinder for large corporations will go elsewhere to conduct their business. America is already the second most expensive place to do business.
I think America is still considered by most to be a capitalist country. We have certainly headed down the road to socialism in the past decades. In a true lassiez faire capitalist society, there are no provisions for the weak or the elderly. There do need to be some social programs, such as welfare, food stamps, and basic services.... that's part of being a civilized society. Even access to basic health care needs to be protected by government, but that's as far as that should go and those things should be made the responsibility of local and state politicians, where we can really get to know our representatives and they can really get to know the people and problems of the state. So, you can see that as a shift toward socialism if you like, but I see it as a move toward