EU and US
The Economist has been doing a lot of talking recently about the differences opening up between the US and Europe. Their cover story this week was something dull on demographics, but gave them another chance to contrast the odd couple again.
This strain is really only coming to the surface since the election of Bush, who represents all the elements of US society that Europe feels least comfortable with. He's parochial, (albeit with a very big parish), openly unilateralist and not least a born again Christian.
Frankly, none of these traits play well in Paris, Dublin, London, Berlin or any other major EU capital (note how I've elevated Dublin there. I felt I could do that in my own blog). From bitter experience, the countries of Europe have devoted themselves to worrying what the neighbours will think of think. Unlike his predecessor, Bush has spent his life not thinking about the world outside the US (who knows, maybe he doesn't think about the world outside Texas much). He gives the impression of not really being sure what we're for.
His religion may seem like an unfair source of criticism, but there's no getting away from the fact that born again Christianity is a uniquely American notion. The idea that you can erase responsibility for your past actions (and misdeeds) by being born again is alien to all the mainstream cultures of Europe, be they Catholic or Protestant. The Catholics have Confession, where you go in with your sins, admit you did them, and are forgiven. But you're still the same person going out. The errors are forgiven, but not erased. And if you're a Protestant, you don't get confession, so you just have to extra careful not to do the wrong thing.
And of course, the strange apocalyptic tendencies of fundamentalist Christianity in the US must disturb even the most casual of viewer. This article on the Left Behind series of books is enough to make anyone throw their hands up in despair at really understanding what makes the other half tick.
11:59:37 AM 
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