When you consider it, life the European Union is much better than the life in the United States in almost every way. The E.U has a larger economy, more wealth, more citizens, better education and better quality of life. Population Size: The European Union (EU) has about 500 million citizens (492 million according to some figures). The United States only has 310 million citizens. Economy: The European Union has the worlds largest economy. Europe also has the most Fortune 500 companies. The Euro (currency) is stronger than the US dollar. The United States is the country with the largest debt in the world. The external debt of the U.S.A is more than $13,399,859,000,000.00 (94% of GDP in 2009) Wealth The European Union has a GDP (millions of USD) of $16,447,259, whereas the United States only has $14,256,275 (in 2009) . In terms of overall gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the United States only ranks 6th in the world, behind several European countries who are on top of the list. The E.U has the highest GDP (purchasing power parity) in the world. Several European countries (such as Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Switzerland and Denmark) has a higher GDP (per capita) than the United States (in other words, people are wealthier than in the U.S.) In several European countries people work fewer hours than anyone else in the world, yet European countries are also among the most productive in the world. US workers are claimed to be the world's most productive, but they put in more hours than Europeans to score higher, according to a study by the United Nations. World View & Culture The average citizen in the United States has a very limited view and understanding of the world. Only one in five Americans has a passport. The number of Americans who have a passport, according to the State Department, is 68 million, or around 22% of the population. That means roughly only 1 out of 4.5 Americans can even visit Canada, let alone travel to anywhere else in the world. So, only about 22% of Americans own a passport and only 10% of those actually leave the country. Multilingual: The majority of European citizens speak more than one language. Most Europeans can speak at least two languages, and a significant amount can even speak three or more languages. English is the language most widely spoken in the EU, even though only 16% speak English as their mother tongue. Nearly 50% of all EU citizens can speak an additional language. 89% of pupils in the EU learn English. Yet there are 45 indigenous languages are in everyday use in the E.U and of these 11 are official languages of the E.U. Only about 9 percent of Americans can speak another language (in most cases, only ONE other language). [Note: Even the president of the United States, Barak Obama, can only speak one language - English. Perhaps he is one of very few "world leaders" who can speak only one language?] Education The education system of several E.U countries is significantly better than the U.S. Finland is widely known to have the best education system in the world. The education system of the United States is placed near the bottom of the list, according to the United Nations. The United States is 18th on a list of 24 countries. Lifestyle: Europeans walk and bike more. Europeans use more public transit, and drive economical cars. Europeans eat well. They eat more healthy than Americans. Medical care in most E.U countries is much more advanced than the U.S. Most other major industrialized nations provide universal health coverage, and most of them have comprehensive benefit packages with no cost-sharing by the patients. The United States, to its shame, has some 45 million people without health insurance and many more millions who have poor coverage. Vacation: The United States is the only developed country with no required minimum vacation days. The seems the average American dutifully work him/herself into an early grave. ;) Typically, the American workers are granted only 10 working days with 8 national holidays per year. Countries in the European Union has a required minimum number of vacation days, that range between 20 days and as much as 42 days. For example, elderly employees in Austria received as much as 42 days leave per annum. The average Swedish workers took 44 days off work in 2004. Social: Of 194 countries ranked and rated to reveal the best places to live, which consider nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate; rate several countries in the E.U (such as France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Germany, ) as the best place to live. The United States is rated as the 7th best place to live, just above other European countries like Belgium and Italy. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index (2005) rated the United State
Other - Cultures & Groups - 8 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
because Americans are just plain cooler. End of story.
2 :
I like the Euro. We have a reputation for better hygeine.
3 :
EU isnt the same as the USA The USA is a country the EU is not What you have done here is pluck the best examples out from Europe to prove your point. Well why not compare EU memeber Slovinia to the USA and see how that matches up? Not really fair to only mention Denmark is it? Multilingual:YES fair enough but that second language is usually English Im English and i never properly learned a second language in school If you think the EU is a nation like the USA tha surly we are only as good as our weakest members You should compare lithuania to the USA to be fair EDIt Although judging by the moronic answers from US side Im inclined to start agreeing with you
4 :
What's the point of having extra vacation when the sun rarely shines there? The people don't look happy, and Americans are more attractive and diverse.
5 :
Americans are just flat out AWESOME.I'm sorry, but some countries in Europe are infamous for their poor hygiene.
6 :
I think the EU is better. You probably put forward a fantastic arguement but I doubt anyone read it. But still, I'm on your side! European motto: United In Diversity European anthem: Have you heard it? I have: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXuhvzbQ5EI&feature=related :) x
7 :
Your numbers are meaningless because you are comparing apples to oranges. The United States is a real country and the European Union is an organization only defined for economic reasons such as commerce and trade. You know as well as I do that the real test of which country is the best revolves around their immigration numbers. The US has been and still is the most desirable place for immigrants.
8 :
Because Americans literally live underground. They have no clue that other countries exist.
