America Must Never Become Europe

Progressives look to Europe with a mix of wonder and naïveté. They see their preferred policies—high taxes, socialized medicine, aggressive antitrust laws, and centralized government—but fail to appreciate the negative consequences those policies produce.

Europeans enjoy lower material living standards, less access to amenities like air conditioning and clothes dryers, and slower rates of progress compared to Americans. With a few notable exceptions—such as Poland and Ireland—Europe is a stagnant continent.

Americans should look to Europe as a warning, not a model to emulate. Europe is the inevitable endgame of progressive policies—and we must avoid that fate at all costs.

High Taxes

Unlike the United States, which fought its revolution over taxation, Europeans have long been accustomed to high taxes and bloated government spending.

Progressives dream of funding a welfare state by “soaking the rich.” But in Europe, it’s not just the wealthy who pay up. The European tax model relies heavily on regressive consumption taxes like the Value-Added Tax (VAT), which hits the poor and working class hardest.

In France, the VAT is 20%. Sweden’s is 25%. In Denmark, the average worker loses over 45% of their income to taxes—and that’s before they pay the VAT at the register. These steep taxes discourage work, stifle entrepreneurship, and punish aspiration.

Socialized Medicine

Progressives swoon over European healthcare systems. They neglect the reality: socialized medicine means rationing, waiting lists, and a chilling effect on medical innovation.

In the UK, over 7 million people are stuck on NHS waiting lists. In Canada—Europe in spirit if not geography—patients wait months for basic procedures.

By contrast, the United States leads the world in medical research, breakthrough treatments, and access to cutting-edge care. Why? Because our system, while far from a free market, still rewards innovation and competition.

Aggressive Antitrust

Europe’s obsession with “competition policy” has bred a regulatory environment hostile to business growth. The result? Europe has failed to produce a single tech giant on par with Apple, Google, or Amazon. 

The European Union: A Cautionary Tale

The EU embodies everything America must reject: overregulation, centralized bureaucracy, and contempt for national sovereignty.

From absurd food regulations to sweeping digital controls, the EU suffocates its economies with red tape. Brussels dictates terms from on high, throttling growth and leaving member states shackled to bureaucratic diktats.

As Thomas Jefferson warned, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” Europe proves him right. The further power drifts from the people, the more liberty is eroded.

America’s choice is clear: follow Europe’s path of stagnation, dependency, and decline—or reaffirm the values of limited government, low taxes, free enterprise, and individual freedom that made this nation exceptional.

We must never become Europe.