Replies to post #327333 on Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[urmygold1]

west pacific...why dont you MOVE to europe!!!!!!!O..... because america IS the land of opportunity???? these overly sociallized economies of europe will NEVER compete on the world stage and lead the world like the UNITED STATES has!!!! if the u.s. would have acted more european in iraq...we would keep the country and its oil as well as kuwait...the europeans have NEVER freed a country and rebulit it! without the marshall plan europe would be in its second dark ages....LOL URMY! ;O)

[sahne]

.."Europeans and most of the world hate USA now, the future is Europe.".
As a born and raised full blooded German (now US citizen) I would like to offer an opinion on that statement. Europe has potential only if they can grow their export markets at a pace beyond their current rate of growth.
The US is a huge (largest) consumer of their high profit margin goods. If the US goes into a recession in 2005 Europe will be there with them. The constituency in the established economic export powerhouses will have very little tolerance and endurance for that. Of course their politicians will, as they do now, be able to point to the US as a source for this. The disappointing European media will most likely not address the core issue of unrealistic, unsustainable wages, benefits and perceived pre-eminence and resulting entitlements.
These issues can be addressed, the impact mitigated and solved over a period of time (years) but not with the US in recession.

A first step that should be taken by them is to loose that "hatred".
I agree it exists, unfortunately. My nieces and nephews think it's cool to boycott US products. I'll be the first to agree that US policies has flaws and shortcomings that have global impact but do they so far outweigh benefits? On my recent visit to Germany I was bombarded with emotional, dummed down arguments against virtually all aspects of the US. It was startling!

Now, great nations or economies are not born out of hatred for other nations. What the f... happened to the great German intellect? All over sudden everything is black and white, good or bad. Efforts on my part pointing to many specific indirect benefits of US policies pretty much fell on deaf ears. Perhaps I was not able to point to too many benefits to established Europe, but realized that many gains are now recognized in other parts of the world such as China and India. Perhaps much of this "hatred" is based on fear of loss of their own well being.