Let me preface this by saying that I am a European/American hibrid. I was born in Europe, grew up in the US and have been back in europe the past 5 years. I actually like both places very much and feel i understand them both very well: good and bad alike.
Regarding the post, I must say that I've got big issues with Europe as a model of peace and stability:
CameronPoe wrote:
It appears to me that Europe, with its bloody chequered history, has finally come to a mature and peaceful rest. Where once war was a core part of the European diet there now exists peace, co-operation, security, prosperity and progress. The last few hotspots - Northern Ireland and the former Yugoslavia - seem to be nearing resolution.
Seems to me that the US reached this level of maturity and peace on its continent in 1900. The US had wars between their states and with neighbors but all has been peaceful and stable for a really long time. Nothing really special about europe getting close to this 100 years later.
CameronPoe wrote:
Europe strikes a healthy balance between nationalism and international co-operation between member countries. Europe has developed a socialist form of capitalism providing the best of both worlds, economically speaking, - steady rates of economic growth coupled with generous social welfare (helping to keep income gaps, for the most part, relatively small and ensuring that pretty much no-one gets 'left behind').
Uhm, europe is facing economic difficulties. Unemployement is huge problem. Growth in the EU15 is poor. Worker productivity is lagging way behind targets . The Lisbon Strategy has become a joke in the EU. We can debate why this is so but how productive is your working population going to be when you're paying around 50% of your salary to the state? In any case the numbers don't make a case for Europe as an economic model of success. Btw:
Study by Timbro: A Swedish Think Tank wrote:
http://www.timbro.com/euvsusa/
New study compares GDP and growth: EU versus USA
If the European Union were a state in the USA it would belong to the poorest group of states. France, Italy, Great Britain and Germany have lower GDP per capita than all but four of the states in the United States. In fact, GDP per capita is lower in the vast majority of the EU-countries (EU 15) than in most of the individual American states. This puts Europeans at a level of prosperity on par with states such as Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia. Only the miniscule country of Luxembourg has higher per capita GDP than the average state in the USA. The results of the new study represent a grave critique of European economic policy.
Stark differences become apparent when comparing official economic statistics. Europe lags behind the USA when comparing GDP per capita and GDP growth rates. The current economic debate among EU leaders lacks an understanding of the gravity of the situation in many European countries. Structural reforms of the European economy as well as far reaching welfare reforms are well overdue. The Lisbon process lacks true impetus, nor is it sufficient to improve the economic prospects of the EU.
EU versus USA is written by Dr Fredrik Bergström, President of the Swedish Research Institute of Trade, and Mr Robert Gidehag, until recently Chief Economist of the same institute and now President of the Swedish Taxpayer's Association.
CameronPoe wrote:
Europe is the most environmentally aware region on earth and is taking measures to address environmental issues, even if other countries won't.
I agree with this. EU environment regulations are very strict and will become even stricter.
CameronPoe wrote:
Europe is viewed by many as an almost impartial arbiter in international matters - the Palestine situation being a case in point. The majority of Europe refused to endorse or engage in the Iraq war, a brave and correct decision in the face of extreme pressure from a powerful ally, with many of those that did engage in it finally coming to their senses through the pressure exerted on their governments by the people: true democracy.
The EU's common security and defense policy exists only in theory. The Bosnian/Kosovo conflict will forever be a black eye for Europe's security policy. I won't get into the iraq debate except to say that if europe thinks that the US is the real enemy, then they have a very short memory and are bound to see history repeat itself...in their disfavor.
CameronPoe wrote:
Europe has many flaws but humans are flawed and nothing can be absolutely perfect. Having said that, has Europe finally reached the zenith of political and economic development?
conclusion: if you want to make a case for europe as a model for the world, aside from the environmental arguement, I think you've picked the worst possible areas for your arguement. Europe, for all its wonderful virtues, is from a global perspective in a period of decadence: they are complacent, indifferent, have weak leadership, and just don't have the competitive drive of a world power anymore. After many hundreds of years of being the center of global power, europe is content to take it easy. Unfortunately history tells us this is not a good thing: China, India and Russia are rising. Islam is the world's largest relgion (and we know the problems there). We are far from becoming a planet that is governed by Utopian principles as some europeans would see. We live in a world with conflicts, wars, dangerous ideologies, unscrupulous government, fierce competition from economic globalization, mass migrations and most dangerously the technologies so advanced that it can be used to kill millions at time, possibly even destroy the planet. Seems to me that europe is ignoring human history by minimilizing these issues.
