There is a real problem of definition here, Liberal over there means socialist where as here it means progressive; left wing versus right wing thinking. For us the socialists' left wing thinking causes big problems which take years to unravel. Our liberals are the enlightenment type thinking liberals not the socialist type thinking liberals so for us social programs can work if they are not over the top. However you have and have had allsorts of issues we don't have to deal with; deep racial divide, entrenched poverty, large scale illegal immigration, militarism, vigilantism