Are countries that didn’t catch up actually worse off? Just because we have two Chinese-made baubles for every 1.5 Chinese baubles owned by the average European doesn’t make us any happier.

Growth is another word for cancer. A fatal disease.

As far as efficiency, are you really calling a system that has got little done other than a mediocre, convoluted healthcare bill and has had multiple shutdowns over the past few years efficient?

Germany and many northern European countries are plenty efficient, BTW. Europe’s problem as a whole is different from what you think — imagine the US and Canada having a common currency with Mexico and Argentina.

Northern Europe is plenty rich, BTW. The average person there is richer in the one commodity that everyone has a finite supply of: free time. Yet average life span is a bit longer, and people still have the time to travel and enjoy life.

Is having a fucking 3000 sf McMansion and a teevee in every room a sign of wealth? Or just terminal stupidity?