How can the US compete with Europe that has Cheap eastern european workers?
415170
By letting more Latin-Americans across the boarder.  \n\nBut in all truth there are some special protections that Western European Countries negotiated when joining the EU.  One of these includes excluding workers from certain eastern countries from working in Western countries for a given number of years.  \n\nAlso, many western European countries have huge low paid labor forces.  France for example has 10% unemployment rates and 40% of their population works for minimum wage.    That could be why there are factories all over France, and I am desperate to find factories in America.\n\nMany people in America cry about China being the next big threat, but the real competition is back in Europe.  The 25 member states of the EU already have a higher GDP then the US.  Not only that, but they also have a way nicer life style.\n\nHow are they able to do it?  They don't spend exorbitant quantities of money on their military.
276312
I love the naivete of the responses so far, but they did nail it on the head in theory.  What Americans don't understand is that Communism was a "corruption to the core" of society, not just at the top.  Everyone did what they could to get along, meaning lying, cheating, and stealing under the regimes.\n\nThe people here are not necessarily "pro-American", but more "pro-sucker"...as in, "Come bring your dollars to us so we can take them and cheese you guys off until you leave."  Some countries (like Bulgaria and Poland) have managed to reverse this mentality and thrive.  Others, like Romania, Moldavia, and Ukraine, have never had a significant "middle-class" in their history, and hence, have no idea what capitalism really means.  Materialism and corruption of values is substituted for any semblance of fair business and working ethic to a horrible effect on general society.\n\nTo answer in a nutshell though, the common folks here believe that America = Money.  Money is the only thing that matters any more, and the idea is reinforced by corrupt leadership.
882223
Oh yes the Euro the currency of the European union has more then doubled in value since its creation making it the second most valuable money on Earth after the Enlgish pound more valuable then the US dollar!.  Socially EU people can cross the board with no checks or stops allowing people to mix easier and travel to new places where jobs and lessiure is, especial the new former USSR satellite countries.  It'll be a snowball effect everyone will want to join and it will make the EU that much stronger.
1034641
Its good for the eastern european countries because they will inevitibly profit from the deal because the lower cost of doing business there should attract industry and jobs and theoretically open their agricultrual markets.  But bad because they will never have the respect of western europe and will always be treated like the figurative step-children of the EU.\n\nThe EU will eventually collapse because the founding members will not reap the benefits of membership they envisioned at the onset.  The only reason they have grown so quickly is europe is trying to unite under one currency to be larger than the US, but since each country has its own separate economy the two can't really be compared.   The Brits see this which is why the UK has retained its own currency, so when the euro fails along with the EU they will have the strongest currency in Europe.
600723
The US may be great, but it is not the only great nation. Many other nations are facing massive immigration influxes as well. France has Northern Africans coming in by the boat load. Italy has Albanians coming over. I could go on.
887351
I think we should create a North American common market like Europe has and simply let citizens of the member nations (Canada, USA, Mexico, and other Central American countries) move back and forth freely to work wherever they are needed.\n\nThe ECU is doing this and now its currency, the Euro, is stronger than the dollar.  Nations who used to fight each other now cooperate to build a strong economy.
688985
I am a U.S. citizen, but I can only speak for myself. I know that not all people fit a stereotype of their race, country, or region, but generally, I regard europeans as being more wrongfully permissive, due to their ridiculously high taxes and socialist programs. However, the coalition governments of Europe are truly superior to the crude 2-party system of the United States. The coalition governments allow ALL of the european people to be represented, whereas in the United States, only the right-wing and left-wing fringes get government representation.
1134425
There are not any. Europe is a group of nations which have grouped together to form a union, hence the term E.U. Industries are nationalised within each country or member state, and belong to that memebr state, not to the E.U directly. For this to happen the E.U would have to become a super state with a president/leader. Fortunately (I am a nationalist) this ideology was stopped when France and other member states voted against the European Constitution a couple of years ago.
587925
Quit cying.  Europeans have been paying even more for years.  We're spoiled rotten.
734455
The EU has a very bright future, and the USA can learn from them in many ways.\n\nThey have a strong currency, and superior education, social, and health systems.
429206
Because the American society is better off paying someone else less to do the jobs that would cost more to do here. We focus on more service jobs, and these won't be outsourced.
431256
Americans actually comes from Europe because of the immigrants thing, so there are actually brothers. The different is that Americas rule the politic and economic world not the Europe
864236
You are right, they see Americans and the European man on the street couldn't tell you the difference between Bush's and Pelosi's policies.  They have no clue what a Dem or a Rep is.\n\nThe truth is there are a lot of social programs in Europe and those programs are expensive.  Because of this a lot of their economies have stagnated while ours has grown.  This has led to us being more successful and they are jealous.  In fact they are right now trying to go through the UN to force us to change our subsidy standard because they cannot compete with us agriculturally and they want to weaken our farmers, this movement started way back during Clinton and they are still pushing for it.\n\nThey really don't hate us as much as they are jealous.  They also fall into the thought process that we must want to be like them and we must change.  Truth is we have been at odds with Europe for a long time, they only wanted us around for so long just to make sure they didn't end up speaking Russian.
499656
I'm guessing you've never been to America.  I've traveled through most of Europe, the standard of living is nowhere even close to that of America.  There are a few cities that have a different standard but are on par with the USA. As far as being relevant...Yes the USA is a major purchaser of European goods and their economies are interlinked.  If the US economy fails so will be the fate of Europe's just as if Europe's economy fails so is the fate of America's.
204224
it depends on your views of everything. You might say a European country is the greatest because it has free healthcare, good pension, etc... but not much oportunity to get ahead. in the US, there arent many things that are free, and many things cost alot of money, but opportunities are everywhere in the Statesm, its easier to make money. So again, its a personal choice of "The Best". My Answer is The United States. many things are wrong with it. but its the best i've seen.
590619
There are none. If you live in the US, and you want money, you gotta work for it.
403277
It's mostly a market-based economy. Young people with good education are quite well off. People who are retired or close to retirement are in the worst situation - the first don't have skills required now the latter were robbed during the period of hyperinflation in the nineties, when their savings and retirement benefits became worthless.\n\nI've noticed one thing - when you ask people about their income (in Russia it used to be OK to ask this delicate question) they tell you about their official salary (let's say about $ 500 - $ 1000 a month), but not about the income, which would include other part-time jobs, contract work etc., which can be twice their official income. Given the relatively cheap housing for those who were lucky enough to privatize their apartments, low taxes (13% flat rate for residents) and still existing social benefits like almost free education and health care, $1,000-$2,500 might be not as bad as it sounds. I am not talking about Moscow where the cost of living is probably higher than in New York.