[Matl]

I think Americans like yourself greatly underestimate what advantages having a unified language, legal system etc. brings. It may seem to many Americans that the EU is unified but it's much less so than you'd expect.

Social programs have little to do with it. You can have both industry and social programs if you just choose not to start random wars of aggression in the US too, something for which you need $1.5T apparently.

China has both more industry and plenty of social programs as an example.

[gunsle]

It does have everything to do with it. Why would anyone in Europe be motivated to build anything innovative if they know they will have the government taking 50% of every dollar they make to fund social programs they probably won’t even receive the benefits of? Why would anyone work hard in that environment? You’re completely ignoring the social/productivity implications of high taxation. Additionally, China does not have anywhere near the level of social programs Europe does. No one in China takes two months off a year as a checkout clerk.