The United States of Europe

One of my biggest pet peeves when discussing the United States with Europeans is the tendency some have to think we are all the same. I think if you know ONE thing about American politics, it would be how polarized it is. And despite this view some have of us being gun-toting, Republican-voting cowboys, they all want to go to New York, which is NOTHING like that. When I was studying in France at the height of the Bush administration, I learned quickly that people will be MUCH nicer to you if you identify yourself as being from California instead of saying you're from the United States.

Amidst the British budget cuts and the French protests-turned-riots, I've started to notice that Americans are just as guilty when it comes to Europe. I've read a lot of smug commentary about the "European system" is failing- and most of these articles have nothing to do with the EU. Look in American newspapers, and you'll find talk about entitled Europeans who would riot when the government tries to raise the low retirement age. Yes, this happened in France and Greece... but where are the riots in the rest of Europe? We talk about how the European social welfare system is a failure, and how the tax rates destroys their economy. This is a strange assessment considering that one of the few countries that can be smug during this recession is Germany. Real Clear Politics just published this article about how Americans have a stronger work ethic than Europeans, and I find myself wanting to ask the author if he has ever been to Estonia or Germany? (Just to single out two countries I've lived in where I've found the locals to be very hard-working.)

Lumping California and Texas together in terms of culture and governance because they are both American states is ridiculous. Los Angeles and New York are NOT the same city. Even Los Angeles and San Francisco have very different cultures. The United States and Mexico differ in several respects despite being neighbors. So why are Americans so comfortable thinking that France represents the whole of Europe?