[Kitten Festival]

Europe declared it would overake us a few years back. They are now proudly shriveling into nothing and screaming at us like dorothy's witch covered in water.

[Maynerd]

The EU just needs to form another commission and five year plan. Less liberty and more planning is all they need.

[sgtbono2002]

What I find hard to understand is the value of the Euro vs. the Dollar. Now I am no genius, but why do people place value on the Euro when the economies of the main countries backing it are so bad?

[q_an_a]

nice post. check out the following from the article.

A study last year by the U.S. Labor Department also compared long-term trends in the U.S. and other countries. It pegged real per-capita GDP in the U.S. at $34,960 in 2003, a full 24% higher than the $26,698 average in Europe's biggest, richest countries.

The average EU worker would think they had died and gone to heaven if they worked in Fort Worth, went to the museums, ballet, symphony, jazz clubs and went home to a 3,000 sq ft house that costs half of the price of an EU 1200 apartment. Years ago a Russian was on a tour with city leaders, he went in to an Albertsons late in the evening with the mayor he asked, "Yes, this is nice but where do the regular people shop?"

[AmericanChef]

By golly, what they need is...A Summit!!

[NEBUCHADNEZZAR1961]

The EU is the orgasmic dream of all Free-Traders. One currency, etc. Look what that dream has become! A nightmare!!!!

[Moral Hazard]

The irony is that most European economists have long since realized that it is the welfare state and over-regulated labor market that is the cause of their problem, and that adopting the American approach would fix their low growth and high unemployment problems.

Currently those economists are split between those who love socialism too much even though they realize it doesn't work, and those that fear actually implementing any reforms because too many people are dependent on the welfare state.

[eluminate]

the biggest problem is that EU created barriers for business creation instead of being a catalyst. Now people have to abide by 4 regulations instead of 3 nation/state/local with eu standard on top. The thought was that Eu standard would streamline into one nationwide standard instead of becoming another hurdle. Furthermore the extra layer of beuracrats hasn't helped at all. This extra layer of usuless power makers just creates more tension and less ability to come to terms with each clique trying to get its own way.