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GrandPoobah -> RE: USA vs Europe (2/17/2012 10:30:33 PM)
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As an American who enjoys frequently traveling to Europe, more specifically Germany, I'll offer what I can.
First, don't try to defend the US. We're not perfect, and our more recent track record is pretty spotty. Acknowledge that we've had some great times. We screwed up several things during WWII, but we did a pretty decent job holding the line in Berlin. We "won" the cold war, but a lot of folks in Europe had a hand in that. Don't expect the French to remember that it was largely our commitment that made D-Day possible...it's old news, and most current French don't much care. In short, I've found it's easier to admit our shortcomings, and then...graciously...allow Europeans theirs.
In many ways, Europe is way ahead of us. Nobody in Europe (generally) goes into bankruptcy in order to have health care. Yes, many complain about the health services they receive, but...at least they do get service. America is hardly the "best place ever" so defending that point of view just makes the discussion go south. They tend to have better educational systems, better health systems, lower infant mortality, and more generous social benefits.
Second question: Americans struggle to understand Europe...for many of the same reasons Europeans struggle to understand the US. We hear a lot about Greece...but KNOW very little. The same is true of Italy and Spain and Portugal. The EU and the Euro Zone might not be the greatest thing that ever happened, but it's an honest attempt to deal with the thousands of years of war the continent has endured. Give'em credit for trying. For the most part, it works.
Europe has resolved a lot of questions Americans are still confronting...and from the outside, it often looks like we're idiots. Of course, that works the other way too. We cannot begin to understand why the Dominic Strauss-Kahn wasn't vilified in France for what he did. It's a different world...and we don't begin to understand it. The same could be said for the Amanda Knox' plight in the so-called Italian justice system. We know what we know, and don't understand other systems. If you want to understand the European position on things, you have to know how they come to the position, and that means a lot of history.
At one time, you might have been able to claim the "moral high ground" for the US. Not any more. When Bush went to war in Iraq, and couldn't find the non-existent WMD's, all bets were off. BTW, we should acknowledge that going into Iraq was the first time in history that a democracy declared war on a nation that hadn't attacked first. I suspect Bush didn't know that.
In short, don't try to "blanket defend" everything. We're not perfect. Not by a long shot. We do some good things, and, overall, we've got a pretty good history. However, that doesn't mean everything we try is automatically wonderful. (cough) Sarah Palin? (cough) If you're coming across as some who's come to clean the temple, you'll lose every time. Europeans were writing the Magna Carta centuries before anybody "white" had wandering in the western hemisphere. They do know a lot...and some things we could learn from too.
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