Interesting post, Mattlach. Seems to match generally with my experience. While I have not lived in the US, I'm working for international companies for a long time and had/have lots of Co-Workers from around the world.
In contrast to you, I much prefer the american way of individuality.
I also can't agree really with europeans companies being more flatly structured. There is nothing more strictly hierarchical and centralized than a french company, where in meetings most people won't even say something without their bosses approval, if he's there too. And certainly not something contrary to his oppinion. The behaviour of my coworkers from the US was certainly different.
Also, the problems generated by european welfare states are different from the problems of the US, however, they are no less serious.
In basically damning ambition as something morally suspect,overtaxing the willing and able and spending about half of all state income on social issues (as in Germany), a climate was generated, which causes a lot of young, innovative and well learned people to leave.
These people go where they may fulfill their ambitions and make their own fortune. They generate value for the society as such by doing this, while a well-build welfare system mostly attracts another sort of people.
It also leads to the cementing of a social stratification. If you can live relatively comfortably by just doing nothing, what's the point.
European societies are not as socially mobile as e.g. the US. You hardly fall completely through the security net, but it's also much harder to move upward.
Alas, as a german, I currently have the feeling that we are moving into the direction of the old german sickness of socialism again - which we did twice already with catastrophic results.
