OPINION

Obama Dreams of Euromerica

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Barack Obama is rarely at the White House. He prefers to attempt to govern the USA from his flying fortress, Air Force One.

Today he is in Cannes, France to meet with the political glittery of the G 20. He feels at home in Europe. His popularity is higher in Europe. They like his plan for socialized medicine in Europe. They like his bank bailouts in Europe. This is all understandable, since his expressed desire is to make American “more like Europe.”

What he likes about the dysfunctional allies we have in Europe is hard to understand. They have had their much touted “European Union” (EU) brought to its knees by the over spending of one of its smallest members. Can you imagine if the United States was nearing dissolution because of overspending in Rhode Island?

The original agreements made by Greece to enter the EU called for a limit to the deficit spending. Greece complied by sending reports to the European Commission that demonstrated they were making progress and living within their means. Whoops, now we learn the reports were phonier than a three dollar bill, and surprise, the socialist government lied.

By nearly all measures, living in the United States even under Obama is better than living in Europe. All of the elements of Reagan’ misery index are higher in Europe. Unemployment is higher in Europe. Inflation is higher in Europe. Interest rates are higher in Europe. Less people own homes in Europe. Less people own cars in Europe. Commodities and food cost more in Europe. Taxes are higher in Europe.

Bottom line, people in Europe are poorer than they are in the United States.

No wonder Obama loves Europe. He wants to raise America’s taxes. He wants to raise America’s energy prices. He wants more regulations in America on so-called greenhouse gases like they have in Europe. He wants to shrink our cars like Europe. He wants to change our toilets and light bulbs and design them like those used in Europe.

We like to visit Europe, but we always kiss the ground when we return to the wonderful USA.

Seriously though, the economic crisis we currently face has been exacerbated by Obama choosing to adopt European solutions to America’s problems. Americans are a dynamic people. We are composed of the descendants of people that largely left Europe and other continents for the freedom of America. They want to shake the bondage of big government monarchies in Europe for the democratic unknown of America.

On this wild continent they carved a marvelous home, unrivaled around the globe. Only an idiot would want to trade in this heritage for the porridge of our poorer cousins in Europe.

America solves problems from the bottom up. We don’t solve them in Washington DC. We solve them in Peoria, Orlando, Denver, Twin Falls and even in Los Angeles. People solve their own problems in the United States working hand in hand with family, neighbors and the local boy scouts.

This weekend in Cannes they want to solve the debt problem. Too much debt is owed by too many European Countries that can’t pay those debts. The European Union solution is a new tax. This time they want to tax financial transactions. Think of it as the $5.00 ATM Card fee on a global scale. Bank of America dumped their plan for the fee when they realized they would lose customers. Let’s hope Obama doesn’t endorse and import this new tax to America.