{"id":5781,"date":"2026-07-07T12:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/why-europe-secretly-wants-to-be-just-like-the-u-s\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T16:25:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:25:42","slug":"why-europe-secretly-wants-to-be-just-like-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/why-europe-secretly-wants-to-be-just-like-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Europe Secretly Wants to Be Just Like the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States last Saturday, a music video has been making the rounds that is remarkable in many ways. For one thing, the video created by the creator\/artist \u201cHeavy Pulp\u201d is almost entirely generated by AI (!). It blends real historical footage, science fiction scenes, and conspiracy-themed scenes in the style of a Katy Perry music video.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what makes it particularly remarkable is the text. Rarely has anything in recent times captured the current zeitgeist so perfectly. It poses the question \u201cQuo Vadis\u201d to the United States and provides the answer right away: \u201cLiterally anything is possible.\u201d For better or for worse.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See for yourself:<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sweet Land\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kK3ymlosoHY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A strange feeling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This video kept me thinking all weekend, which was unsettling. Because at first glance, it\u2019s just another heroically staged, patriotic video, and I\u2019m\u2014to put it mildly\u2014not exactly susceptible to U.S. patriotism, were it not for this deep-seated doubt and the bitter jabs at everything that makes the U.S. and the West in general great.   <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dancing on the Edge During the Fireworks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A text with an unintended impact in all directions. Below are a few annotated excerpts. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>&#8220;Oh sweet land, sweet land of the weary and the wild. Oh where, oh where are you, my sweet?&#8221; <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. and Europe are searching for their identity as rarely before. The incredible rise of recent decades\u2014those boom years\u2014has increasingly blurred what is worth striving for, fighting for, and dying for. As a result, with each passing generation, people have forgotten more and more who they actually are.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>&#8220;The garden is either dying or about to come alive. The river is either drying up or deep enough to dive into. I can&#8217;t tell if it&#8217;s dusk or if dawn is breaking. Are we moving forward, or are we going, going, gone?&#8221;   <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAre we facing the ultimate convergence or a new beginning?\u201d This is the defining question of the moment, especially for people working in technology. In a perverse way, both are probably true at the same time\u2014we are facing both.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is foreseeable that the world as we have built it over the past 70 years\u2014with its political systems, comprehensive government structures, regulations, and social welfare\u2014will not be able to continue on the same scale and in the same order as we know it. To say that reforms are needed is an understatement; no, what is needed is a fundamental transformation. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, there are many signs that we are on the verge of a truly massive leap forward in technological development. This is an extremely critical, explosive situation, and it is completely unclear whether it will, so to speak, blow up in our faces or serve as a springboard to the next level of prosperity for humanity. Literally anything is possible right now.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>&#8220;So tell me, is it going to be free energy forever, or just the same old grind?&#8221;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You really can&#8217;t put it any more succinctly than that. While technological changes are happening far too quickly for the general public, many in the tech world are longing for the ultimate breakthrough. \u201cFree energy forever\u201d is the ultimate symbol of this.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>&#8220;Are we one year away from the grave, or is this just the beginning of my sweet child? Oh, you&#8217;re my star-spangled dream, half a savior, half a liar.&#8221; <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then there\u2019s this merciless reflection on its own myth, especially on the 250th anniversary. The country has long known that the \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d is often a sham. But instead of cynically deconstructing this narrative, as we Europeans do, people simply believe in it even more \u201cfervently.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in doing so, it indirectly makes it a real possibility. Mind you, of course, such a path\u2014a phenomenal rise in material prosperity\u2014is still possible in Europe as well. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>&#8220;And nobody can promise me that we&#8217;ll make it to the light. So is this an awakening, or is this just another night in the night? So come on, brother, sister, stand up tall, because guess what? When one of us goes, we all go.&#8221;   <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The slogan \u201cWhere we go one, we go all\u201d is a rallying cry of the right-wing conspiracy movement \u201cQAnon,\u201d which uses it to signal unity within the movement.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The author ironically applies the slogan to the entire country, to society as a whole. This is as insidious as it is brilliant, and it shows how double-edged all identity ultimately is. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite all the political division, this sense of unity in the U.S. is still impressive. And it manifests itself in details that are completely incomprehensible to Europeans: <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few years ago, one morning before the Kennedy Space Center opened its doors, I was standing in the blazing sun as the national anthem played on a large screen\u2014as it apparently does every morning\u2014and about 200 waiting visitors spontaneously turned toward the flag, sang along, and\/or placed a hand over their hearts. A chill ran down my spine\u2014partly out of irritation at so much overt, unwarranted patriotism, but also because there was this feeling: No one can break this country. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>&#8220;If you can hear this from the other side, across this great quantum divide, don&#8217;t get me wrong\u2014now is the time to stay strong.&#8221;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then there\u2019s this almost religious invocation of the shared nation\u2014the last, fragile glue that keeps the shared idea alive. The common ground of a country doesn\u2019t have to be particularly broad; it just has to be broad enough that, at the right moment, everyone pulls in the same direction. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Europe, we\u2019re not particularly good at either recognizing the right moment or pulling together. The reason is simple: culturally speaking, that common ground\u2014no matter how much European leaders might want it right now\u2014simply doesn\u2019t exist. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>\u201cSo please, just know that we can still rebuild. We can still make something\u2026 better.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The text answers the defining question of our time in the West\u2014\u201cCan we still build something?\u201d\u2014in the affirmative, but not without some doubt.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The West has been &#8220;forked&#8221;\u2014for ages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those lines confused me and got me thinking. Ever since Donald Trump gave the Europeans a rude dressing-down, many people in Europe have been demonizing the U.S. And we get the impression that Trump has caused a rift.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think that\u2019s wrong. In reality, the West \u201cforked\u201d the moment the first settlers established themselves in the United States. It was literally the adventurers\u2014those very \u201cweary and wild\u201d people from Europe\u2014who laid the foundation for the United States. And as for Europe\u2019s poor: It was only about 120 years ago that the municipalities in the region where I live financed the emigration of welfare recipients to the U.S.\u2014never to return\u2014just so they could finally be rid of them.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is these people who built the United States, and it is this spirit that continues to define the success of the country and the American ideal.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">250 years later, this prodigal son is still running rings around us, though not without having to save Europe along the way from a Germany that had gone off the rails. And the current guy in the driver\u2019s seat with the orange hair gives us the middle finger every time with a broad grin. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Price of Rescue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The price we paid for this salvation was primarily a cultural one: Over the past few decades, everything that came from the U.S. was, at first, dominant. Music, movies, and the economy\u2014our generation absorbed all of that from an early age. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Americans had thus created the perfect market for themselves, and when China began to function as the perfect manufacturing base for the U.S., an era of relentless growth ensued. This development was accompanied by the narrative of transatlantic friendship. In doing so, the Americans feigned a little more affection for lovely Europe than actually existed. First and foremost, it was a marriage of convenience. Don\u2019t forget: even in a marriage of convenience, people say nice things to each other.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone benefited from this until China itself became a major market and Europe fell behind economically due to ever-rising public spending. It had actually been clear for a long time that this equation no longer held true. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump was simply the first to say this\u2014admittedly unnecessarily bluntly\u2014to our faces, here in Europe. But perhaps it took a boor like Trump to show up so that we in Europe would finally understand the signs of the times. And we Europeans stood there like a five-year-old boy who\u2019s just found out that the Easter Bunny doesn\u2019t exist.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quo vadis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This question of \u201cwhat next\u201d comes at a most inopportune moment for us in Europe. The combination of states acting independently, immense and growing debt, dwindling economic performance, and waning motivation (or the need to perform) is compounded by a gradually setting in depression. Quite a few people would like to take action and bring about change, but where can we go if we don\u2019t know which direction to take?  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tempting Recipes That Lead to Ruin<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is with growing concern that I note the increasingly vocal calls for the state\u2014and, yes, the resurgence of socialism. In almost every European country, there are parties that quite openly seek to \u201covercome\u201d capitalism. It\u2019s as if we\u2019ve learned nothing from the past.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capitalism and entrepreneurship have brought us prosperity and laid the foundation for redistribution. A small fraction of entrepreneurs pays for the vast majority of people. If that small fraction were to disappear, everyone would suddenly have to pay more.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yet, for years now, incentives in Europe to become an entrepreneur and take risks have been systematically reduced. Instead of improving the conditions in which, so to speak, the plants that feed us all can thrive, we are doing exactly the opposite. And then we are surprised when the harvest gets smaller and smaller each year.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, not only will redistribution not be expanded further, but it will have to be drastically scaled back. We thus risk losing the welfare state, which is undoubtedly a major European achievement. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can we build a great future for Europe?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think this is currently the most hotly debated issue in business and politics. Many of the factors we need to address to solve this challenge are still officially off the table. It seems we\u2019ll have to get into much deeper trouble before we have all the tools we need to build a truly great future.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It would definitely be a mistake to try to imitate the U.S. Most people in Europe don&#8217;t have a clear picture of the U.S. right now anyway. Trump, with his crude manner, has clouded everyone&#8217;s judgment; they&#8217;re constantly getting worked up about him and are missing what&#8217;s actually happening.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I suspect that the future in Europe lies in deep tech. We\u2019ve always been the better engineers; the Americans, the better salespeople. Maybe we just need to allow brilliant engineers to generate a fortune through their work. Maybe maximum economic freedom is already enough to go a long way. Or maybe not. What is certain to accelerate the downward spiral is further worsening the conditions for entrepreneurship.     <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A little bit jealous?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And what about the Macrons, Merz, and the rest? Well, they probably secretly wish they could speak their minds as freely as Trump does. They\u2019d certainly never admit that. I\u2019d argue that we in Europe would like to be a little more like the U.S.\u2014that self-confidence, that willingness to take risks. Of course, that just makes the situation even more ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The image of the United States has suffered enormously in Europe. And it is precisely because of this that we are beginning to stand on our own two feet again\u2014for the first time since World War II. It would be presumptuous to expect miracles.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But anyone who makes plans without taking Europeans into account will not succeed. Perhaps things will go well for a while. But a whole generation of young people is coming up with a different outlook\u2014hungry for the future and, so to speak, unconcerned about pensions\u2014and they will successfully shape Europe.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because for us, too, the following is truer than ever: <em>\u201cSo please, just know that we can still rebuild. We can still make something\u2026 better.\u201d Let <\/em>\u2019s <em>get <\/em>to work.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"twoclick-intro\"><p>Artikel auf Social Media teilen:<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_5781 social_share_privacy clearfix 1.6.4 locale-en_US sprite-de_DE\"><\/div><div class=\"twoclick-js\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\njQuery(document).ready(function($){if($('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_5781')){$('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_5781').socialSharePrivacy({\"services\":{\"twitter\":{\"reply_to\":\"\",\"tweet_text\":\"Why%20Europe%20Secretly%20Wants%20to%20Be%20Just%20Like%20the%20U.S.\",\"status\":\"on\",\"txt_info\":\"2 Klicks f\\u00fcr mehr Datenschutz: Erst wenn Sie hier klicken, wird der Button aktiv und Sie k\\u00f6nnen Ihre Empfehlung an Twitter senden. \",\"perma_option\":\"off\",\"language\":\"de\",\"referrer_track\":\"\"},\"linkedin\":{\"status\":\"on\",\"txt_info\":\"2 Klicks f\\u00fcr mehr Datenschutz: Erst wenn Sie hier klicken, wird der Button aktiv und Sie k\\u00f6nnen Ihre Empfehlung an LinkedIn senden. \",\"perma_option\":\"off\"}},\"txt_help\":\"Wenn Sie diese Felder durch einen Klick aktivieren, werden Informationen an Facebook, Twitter, Xing, LinkedIn oder Google eventuell ins Ausland \\u00fcbertragen und unter Umst\\u00e4nden auch dort gespeichert. \",\"settings_perma\":\"Dauerhaft aktivieren und Daten\\u00fcber-tragung zustimmen:\",\"info_link\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.heise.de\\\/ct\\\/artikel\\\/2-Klicks-fuer-mehr-Datenschutz-1333879.html\",\"uri\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.alainveuve.ch\\\/en\\\/why-europe-secretly-wants-to-be-just-like-the-u-s\\\/\",\"post_id\":5781,\"post_title_referrer_track\":\"Why+Europe+Secretly+Wants+to+Be+Just+Like+the+U.S.\",\"display_infobox\":\"on\"});}});\n\/* ]]> *\/<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States last Saturday, a music video has been making the rounds that is remarkable in many ways. For one thing, the video created by the creator\/artist \u201cHeavy Pulp\u201d is almost entirely generated by AI (!). It blends real historical footage, science fiction scenes, and conspiracy-themed scenes in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-article"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":61,"label":"New Article"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/heavy-pulp-sweet-land-1024x627.png",1024,627,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Alain Veuve","author_link":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/author\/veuvea\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":61,"name":"New Article","slug":"new-article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":61,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":61,"category_count":1,"category_description":"","cat_name":"New Article","category_nicename":"new-article","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5781"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5784,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5781\/revisions\/5784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alainveuve.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}