El mito más confortable

En este país, y en el resto de los Europeos, la tesis del "ancho atlántico" forma parte tanto de la mitología popular como de la intelectual:

The “wide Atlantic” thesis claims that there are fundamental differences between Europe and America. These are the contrasts: America believes in the untrammelled market, Europe accepts capitalism but curbs its excesses. Social policies either do not exist in America or are more miserly than in Europe. America’s lack of universal health insurance means that many people die young and live miserably. Because the market dominates, America’s environment is less cared for. Since social contrasts are greater in America, crime is much more of a problem than in Europe. Meanwhile Europeans are secular; Americans are much more likely to believe in God and accept a role for religion in public life. The two societies are thus divided along several faultlines: competition vs co-operation, individualism vs solidarity, autonomy vs cohesion.

Peter Baldwin, en este artículo del Prospect Magazine, se pregunta por la realidad de este mito. Su conclusión, bien fundamentada, es que no. Un ejemplo:

Unemployment benefits in the US, often portrayed as derisory in the European media, are actually higher than in many European nations. Greece, Britain, Italy and Iceland spend less than the US on unemployment, measured per capita.

Un texto imprescindible para navegar sobre las agitadas aguas del antiamericanismo europeo.