To say there is a definite gap opening up between Europe and the US- is bullshit of the highest order. The US, who love to advertise themselves as a "melting pot" try to portray a homogenous vision of what being an American is- to the rest of the world. Europe on the other hand, is not cut from the same cloth. We are 27 different nations- some of whom chum up to their neighbours, others of whom have nasty memories of being invaded and governed by others (by the way its Norway, even if its not an EU member, I had in mind there- but there are numerous other examples, many closer to home). We have the socialist nirvana of the Scandinavian countries- but mind boggling taxes, which are actually paid when due, thanks to a widespread tradition of conformity- versus a me-too French model- but no-one wants to work, or pay taxes- versus the bizzare black market the further South and East we go......

To try to reconcile a gulf between the US and the EU is nigh impossible- as the gulf between the different EU states far exceeds any common ground we have with each other, never mind with our cousins across the water.

Have you ever tried reading the EU constitution- commonly known as the Lisbon Treaty (since those ingrates in France and the Netherlands saw fit to vote down the original version........) Compare it to either the French declaration of rights- or indeed the US constitution. The caveats have caveats attached to them- and precedents both in previous treaties, regulations and judgements, have fleeting mentions randomly scattered around the document to so obsfusciate the document that it is meaningless to an EU citizen. Meanwhile- only the Irish are allowed to vote on the EU constitution- as the politicians don't trust their own citizens elsewhere to vote in favour of it (they were unable to overturn an Irish Supreme Court Judgement requiring a referendum- but at least with the Irish- if they don't vote the right way- the government will send them back to do it again and again until they do (as happened with previous EU treaties (notably the Nice Treaty)). Ever wonder why Gordon Brown hasn't put the EU Constitution up to public scrutiny and a vote in the UK- because it hasn't a snowballs chance in hell of passing public scrutiny- thats why.......

Meanwhile- the EU presidency's of Slovenia and France have colluded to avoid any contentious issues arising in early 2008, trying to keep the EU off the radar as much as possible (the average person on the street has the memory of a gnat after all). How long will it be before our EU does in fact begin to resemble the US- with a common agricultural policy, a common taxation policy, police forces that can aprehend beyond their own territories (along the lines of the FBI), a common intelligence agency (the US presume interpol to be the poor cousin of their agencies anyhow- along with the national agencies particularly of the UK, France and German).......

You know- if he comes back in 10 years time, while it might not be a policestate, the differences between the US and the EU might be purely cosmetic........