It’s heartening to see foreign soccer fans, especially the Europeans, marvel at their U.S. discoveries. They’ve been awed by Buc-ee’s, Waffle House, and Bass Pro Shops, the best examples of Americana. But what we’re seeing also makes us wonder how long America will still be America.
“Soccer fans like Freddy from Germany are embracing U.S. culture as they crisscross the country — and going viral,” says Danielle Shapiro of the Manhattan Institute.
“Thousands of Europeans are seeing more of America this summer than many New York Times staffers ever will,” tweets Jimmy G.
Germans and Scots are singing “American Pie” while the English sing “Sweet Caroline” at a … Texas rodeo.
Mashable tells us visitors are “posting wide-eyed reactions to the parts of American life locals usually move through without thinking twice.”
“The verdict is in,” reports Fox News. “Europeans are obsessed with rural America during 2026 World Cup stay.”
It must be shocking for the visitors who have relied on the American legacy media to form their opinions to find that the U.S. is mighty diverse and much more than Manhattan, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other elitist Democrat-dominated burgs. Our heartland, that sneered-at flyover country, is vibrant, rich in culture, ever welcoming, overflowing with enterprise.
While the foreigners’ instant affection of uniquely American customs and attractions is gratifying, we still have some uneasiness. The summer soccer “mania” sweeping through the country — “everyone’s talking about the World Cup” – feels as if it might inspire a wave of “we should be more like Europe” propositions that are frequently voiced, especially from the political left.
Chris Arnade sums up many Americans’ Europe envy when he writes in the Free Press that “The U.S. emphasizes material wealth, opportunity, and individual liberty, while Europe places more value on community health, shared resources, and a sense of place.”
In other words that doesn’t sound so comforting but more accurately describes the situation: Europe had dedicated itself to socialism, requiring everyone, whether they wish to or not, to be part of the commune that is doomed to fail.
Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times says that “for liberals like” him, “Europe has often seemed a charmed place with sound lessons for America.” It has “softened the harshest edges of capitalism, provided safety nets,” provides free or cheap university educations, and offers “universal health care, free or subsidized child care and solid public schools.”
Europeans, he says, “place more value on abortion rights than gun rights,” and tend to put in fewer work hours every week.
But, to his credit, Kristof points out in his August 2024 op-ed that “that Europe is struggling today. The U.S. economy last year grew six times as fast as in the European Union, 2.5 % to 0.4%.”
“France offers almond croissants, luxury brands and an enviable way of life. But if it were a state, it would be one of the poorest per capita, on par with Arkansas,” he continues.
Europe’s economy still lags behind America’s. This is not a new story but an old one of two types of economies moving in different directions.
“In terms of per capita income,” says economist Tyler Cowen, “America has opened up a big and apparently growing lead over West Europe.”
Meanwhile, Europe’s population is peaking and is in line to fall “for the first time since the Black Death in the 14th century,” says Kristof. But not to worry. Mass immigration from from Third World countries will take care of that.
While it has focused on trivial matters, Europe has become reliant on the U.S for defense, which is how countries over there pay for their safety nets, (poor) health care and many other taxpayer-provided gifts that Europhiles (erroneously) believe make a nation strong.
Europe is also home to rape gangs run by overwhelmingly Muslim immigrants who have reportedly racked up 250,000 young victims of vile sexual assault, trafficking, torture and lifelong trauma since 1955. Rather than shut down this criminal enterprise, British authorities, says an inquiry supported by a handful of truth-seeking Parliament members, “ignored repeated reports, criminalized victims instead of perpetrators, destroyed evidence, and allowed known rapists to walk free on bail.”
High-ranking officials, such as school marm Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was once the country’s director of public prosecutions, have had little interest in justice, covering up the crimes as if they never happened. Yet they were happy to take a knee for the death of George Floyd, who would have survived his 2020 encounter with law enforcement had he only cooperated.
These spineless functionaries failed their own people because they feared they would be branded racists. They have given up on Western civilization because they’re afraid they will get their feelings hurt. And it’s not happening only in Britain. Migrant crime is a continental problem.
Some across the Atlantic are fed up. The Scots and Irish have protested the migrant takeover that has been forced on them. Sweden has tightened its immigration policy. The European Parliament has even voted to “send them back.” Here and there, we see economic liberty being considered alongside welfare-state reform, particularly in, again, Sweden, which is undergoing a capitalist makeover.
It’s impossible to know if Europe will at some point unite to decide Western Civilization is worth saving, fully unleash the power of free markets, or even learn that the welfare state not only drains wallets but dehumanizes rather than uplifts.
What is certain is that we don’t need to be more like the Europe that will soon be arriving at a dead end. No, to save itself, Europe needs to be more like us — or at least those of us who value liberty, industry, personal responsibility, and civil society.
We hope that’s the message all those Europeans infatuated with Americana take back with them to their leaders.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
