Do we (Americans) place too munch emphasis on individualism?

Individualism IS America. That's what has made this country great. Free people doing what they want to do benefits not only the individuals, but the group as well. Individuals rely on themselves and are not a burden to others. What is killing this country now is the idea that everyone is "owed" everything from a house to a car to a job and the idea that it is the job of governments, from local to state to federal, to provide that to everyone. If this weren't a nation of individuals, relying upon themselves to better their lives, I'd be the first one to sit down and whine about my government roof leaking, my government food being boring, and my government check being late. I don't need or want a babysitter for myself or my children. I don't want to be like the hundreds of thousands who were stuck in New Orleans waiting for someone else to get them to safety. I don't want to be in line for anything that concerns my welfare or that of my family. Government is corrupt, inefficient, slow, and power hungry, all qualities that I don't want to see in anyone or anything that's "serving" me by eating up over half of every dollar I make. The opposite of individualism is collectivism. The government is a collective: many heads but no brain, no initiative, no morals, no motivation to excel, and still depending upon the output of the individual to provide the means for the collective executing its schemes.