European Elitism

With thanks for continuing this fascinating debate, Honest Abe, I should like to respond as follows: You wrote: "I believe that there is a great deal of high brow sentiment flowing out of Europe in relation to America" and "It is a European belief that we are greedy culture that does not take care of the poor." I accept that there is an element of truth in this. Even political parties that are viewed as right wing in Europe would be considered liberal in the US. Furthermore, in Europe universal healthcare and respectable levels of welfare payments are the norm. Therefore, the laissez-faire American political regimes that prioritise free enterprise and low taxes over social justice for the financially disadvantaged are often regarded as somewhat callous. That does not mean Americans, as individuals, are viewed as callous, though, as most European people recognise that many Americans give very generously to charity. Also, the reality is that, all but the very poorest few Americans have a reasonable standard of living – a modest but secure home, TV, fridge and usually a car as well. Your comments regarding the European currency (the Euro) and trade agreement (the Common Market) also hold some water. These were created to make European countries more competitive in a global economy in which the United States, Japan, China, Russia and India are dominant players. It should be pointed out, however, that all these economic superpowers have protectionist trade barriers that are designed to help their own industries – it is not just a European concept. The real losers are under-developed nations, particularly in Africa. Attitudes towards religion vary across Europe. In southern countries such as Greece and Italy, religion still plays an important part of life whereas in northern countries such as Britain and Germany almost nobody under the age of 70, except members of certain ethnic communities, follows religion. What does raise European eyebrows is American religious cults that indoctrinate vulnerable members of society in order to sexually or financially exploit them. However, most people realise that these cults are not commonplace in America. Now, to address in brief your remaining points: Yes, European colonialism has not been an unmitigated success – the Queen doesn't get many Christmas cards from Native Americans, Australian aborigines or Palestinian refugees, all of whom were turfed off their land and persecuted as a result of British overseas adventures. That said, though, Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans of European descent should be grateful that Britain decided to colonise other lands. I do agree, also, that the US is far more of a meritocracy than most European countries, especially Britain, where one's family's social status is at least as important as one's ability in terms of career prospects. Certainly, given a blank sheet of paper, as America was after the revolution, one would not install an unelected monarch and establish a class of idle aristocrats that would all live lavish lifestyles at the taxpayers' expense! Finally, to address the issue of culture: the culture of the Old and New Worlds are, indeed, very different but that doesn't mean both cannot be appreciated on either side of the Atlantic. For example, my 5 year-old niece in England goes to the theatre, ballet or opera at least once a week, yet she also enjoyed her recent visit to Disney World. On the other hand, my young cousins in Florida on a visit to London thought the British Museum was "awesome". Like Americans, Europeans are also ready to embrace foreigners and their cultures. For example, a third of Londoners were born outside England, over 300 different languages are spoken in the city and there are over 50 non-indigenous communities of 10,000 or more. This pattern is repeated, albeit to a lesser extent, in cities across the continent. http://www.guardian.co.uk... In conclusion, Europeans are proud of their cultures and national identities, just as Americans rightly are, but we don't feel superior to Americans, or anybody else for that matter. Now had you said the same things about the Japanese, I might have agreed with you! I hope all is well in North Carolina and look forward to the next round. Cheers!