Different regions play complementary roles in the global economy. The oversimplified description is that the US drives innovation and risk-taking, Europe prioritizes social welfare and sustainability and Asia powers manufacturing. Forcing everyone to compete in the US-style growth race would be disastrous - imagine the burnouts, resource drain and market instability if every country tried to be Silicon Valley. Plus, many Europeans simply don't share the "get rich quick" mentality - they value work-life balance and social security more. Whether we're being pushed into this growth-obsessed game is another debate. Ideally, regions should focus on their strengths while maintaining independence. Europe can keep its social model while smartly adopting tech, Asia can focus on sustainable industry, and the US can lead in innovation. It's like an ecosystem - diversity makes it stronger. The goal shouldn't be for everyone to play the same exhausting game, but to maintain different approaches that complement each other.
A few luxury brands and a well preserved history and culture that is nice for tourism. Lots of high value human capital if only they could truly unlock it and allow it to thrive.
Today's Europe is just milking what it can as it continues its decades long crisis of identity and pessimism. Demographics are destiny and it's extremely problematic for Europe's future. There's no real leadership and it's one large admin state that can only agree to fund people's lives today at the cost of tomorrows lives using whatever assets it has left from its golden age before the wars. It's no wonder no one is having kids as they know the future is bleak. Just let the admin state manage my life and take it easy and not worry too much and fade away into the future until it's all gone...slowly and then all at once.
The jungle produces strong creatures and much of the leading world is much more full of jungle animals than the zoo animals the people of the European continent have become generation over generation.
