Europe versus America

My loyal readers know that I have a soft spot for Sabine Hossenfelder. Her short physics-description videos on YouTube are legendary, and her books are inspiring.

  

This blog post is about a video in which Sabine highlights the differences between the New World and Old Europe, pointing out many well-known stereotypes.

The nastiness between Europeans and Americans is very old, and one of the oldest remarks about America comes from the French philosopher Voltaire. Commenting on the origins of America, Voltaire remarked, "It is said that God created the world and left America unfinished."

Somewhat later, one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, only had terrible news about European governments, "The comparison of our government with those of Europe is like a comparison of heaven and hell."

The Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud found that "America is a mistake; a gigantic mistake, it is true, but nonetheless a mistake."

Benjamin Franklin had harsh words for the Europeans, "People in Europe talk of liberty and complain that they lack it. But they do not understand the real meaning of the word as we do in America."

To which George Bernard Shaw has a reply, "Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." 

Two generations before Lincoln's American government of the people, by the people, for the people, John Adams castigated the European heritage, "I am no friend to aristocracy, and I am sure it is incompatible with liberty. The Europe I have seen is ruled by a few, for the few."

When George Bernard Shaw states, "The 100% American is 99% idiot.", Mark Twain rightly castigates European arrogance, "The English are mentioned in the Bible: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Oscar Wilde, from the motherland England, about the wayward child, "America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between."

Yes, English and Americans have a long love-hate relationship. At times, it goes below the belt when American stand-up comedian Jackie Mason pretends that "England is the only country in the world where the food is more dangerous than the sex."

With her stays in the States, Sabine has lived in both worlds. The remarks forwarded in her video are "scientifically" biased. Here is her most relevant text passage:

Americans just have different values than Europeans. We each have a different idea of what makes for a good life, and it makes no sense that we try to impose our values on each other.

Many Americans, for example, think of freedom as individual autonomy, being left alone by the government, and being able to say what they want without limitations. This is why they are skeptical of the idea of making health insurance mandatory, don't think much of social welfare programs, and constantly complain about censorship.

They've grown up learning that if you want to be successful, you need to take risks. They've grown up learning that failure is a normal part of life and an opportunity to learn. They've grown up learning to value independence.

Europeans, on the other hand, are more likely to associate freedom with social security. They want to be free to pursue their interests without having to worry about being in debt for the rest of their lives because they want to study physics without having to ask for donations to pay for cancer treatment or get shot at the mall in Europe.

We tend to see universal healthcare, tuition-free education, and unemployment benefits as the basis of individual liberty. We accept higher taxes and regulations as protection from systemic risks like poverty and illness, and most of us agree that one person's free speech ends when it is dangerous for another person's safety or dignity. We've grown up learning that bad fortune can hit anyone. We've grown up learning that we're stronger together. We've grown up learning to think before acting. Yes, these are terrible stereotypes.

The French would say, "Vive la difference!" and Red Baron finds that's good subscribing to Sabine's text, including the stereotypes, except for one statement. I did not learn to think before acting in high school in the early fifties. Instead, I had to make painful experiences in my life according to the principle of learning by doing wrong things.

Although I have never lived in the United States for any length of time, I once had a job offer there, and this was shortly after I joined CERN.

Together with my Norwegian boss, nearly the entire CERN Radiation Protection Group attended the 2nd International Conference on Accelerator Dosimetry and Experience at SLAC in 1969.

On our way back home, we flew through Chicago to visit Fermilab and its Tevatron accelerator, where the boss of the radiation protection group made me an offer. I remember that I impressed Miguel's secretary with my rudimentary English and my shit European accent as the exotic guy from Overseas.

Miguel invited me in his private plane and showed me the Tevatron site's splendor from above. I can only describe the scene with Matthew 4:8-9, "All this you will serve," he said, "if you will accept my offer and allow me to be your boss."

As a young father still struggling to find my position at CERN and thinking of my European wife, I declined the offer. Here comes a slide Sabine showed during her talk:

Taking everything into account, I never regretted my decision.

Years later, an Italian colleague flew across the big pond and joined the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). Whenever he visited his home country, he passed by and said hello to his old colleagues at CERN. He was worried that his pension at SLAC wouldn't suffice to support him in his old days since the pension fund had lost a lot of money in the stock market. He stated, "I must work beyond my retirement," a common situation among academic staff in the States.

As a side note, when I asked for such a "privilege" at CERN, personnel simply told me in German, "Mit 65 ist Schluss."

Coming back to the initial topic. In her talk, Sabine showed a graphic that saddens me:

Europeans' sympathy for Americans is declining rapidly. We Germans, in particular, are full of angst that the transatlantic alliance Europe has relied on for decades will break.

Is it comforting that we Europeans are not the only ones who do not understand why the Americans elected Donald Trump? An American columnist also asked, "What exactly did Americans elect Mr. Trump to do? "

She continued her queries, "Did people want him to remake the government and disrupt the global financial order, or did they just want cheaper groceries? "

When looking at the outcome of our recent federal elections and regarding the present political situation in the Netherlands following their elections, I would not throw stones while sitting in a glass house as a Dutch lady does:

Germany, during years hypnotized by its Schuldenbremse (debt brake), suddenly woke up with the disturbing image of the Ukrainian president humiliated in the White House. 

In an unprecedented show of strength, the future German government, comprised of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, is whipping a one trillion-euro credit for armament and infrastructure improvements through the Bundestag (Parliament) and Bundesrat (Senate). This is only possible with a constitutional amendment requiring a 2/3 majority in both chambers. Yesterday, the Bundestag voted for the one trillion debt with a majority of 513 to 207. The Bundesrat will agree to the amendment on Friday.

Can't Germany afford higher debt?

This oversized financial shot will hopefully help Germany emerge from its stagnating economy. Will it also help to avoid a world apportioned between the USA, Russia, and China, with us Europeans as mere onlookers?

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