American capitalism had accepted the welfare state : Democrats and Republicans were now all "liberals". Wealthy Americans paid high taxes and financed American science, culture and medicine. At the same time, initiatives to circumvent social laws multiplied. The invention of temporary work (Manpower), new management practices where the employee obeys the boss as if he were God (Wal-Mart). The 1973 oil crisis was the final blow to the post-war social and industrial consensus. In 1975, debt-ridden New York City was abandoned to its fate by the federal government, which forced it to implement a massive redundancy programme, including for firefighters and the police, while poverty and crime exploded.