Cozy Corner

Patrick at Middle East Youth wonders:

When one country is more powerful and influential than a group of 25 nations, you know you have a problem in global power allocation.

Patrick, “global” power is merely an indicator of a nation’s economic, military, and diplomatic power. So if you question why Europe in aggregate ranks below the US, you should look at those three areas.

For economic power, most of Europe has descended into the trap that is socialism, which has a tendency to stifle economic growth. Further, Europe does a very poor job of integrating its immigrants - just take a look at the difference in the unemployment rates between “natives” of each country, and immigrant groups. The US, on the other hand, has a strong legal system to combat racism, which encourages immigrants to assimilate faster - and grow the economy. Additionally, the US has been fortunate enough not to have its country seriously invaded in 194 years, so hasn’t had the major setback that that entails. Combined, that puts the US ahead in the economy.

For military, there are really two big distinctions. First, the US has always invested very heavily in all research, but especially military research, realizing that even the civilian byproducts have a worthwhile benefit (aren’t we all happy for microwaves?); combined with economic strength, this leads to having superior military technology. And second, the US military is a volunteer military, with an incredible level of professionalism (even the loudest critics of abuses by US military personnel should admit that those personnel, at least, tend to face swift justice). This leads to a military whose individuals tend to have superior discipline and training, and armed with better equipment, than those of other nations.

As for diplomacy, while the US does have a bad history of abandoning projects (Somalia, Lebanon the first time around), or missing important ones (Rwanda, Darfur), it’s still a more credible force - and more credible ally - than most European nations.

Oh, and lastly - the US may be one nation; but it is a nation of 50 states. The EU only has 25.