> 1. Why are income levels lower? USA is in a unique position where it can stimulate its economy to a degree that is treatise-wise impossible for EU government

> 1. Why are income levels lower? USA is in a unique position where it can stimulate its economy to a degree that is treatise-wise impossible for EU governments in EMU, and (until recently) without causing inflation. Southern Europe used to have very high inflation before EMU. For Spain, there is no equivalent to all the US government debts held by China and Japan, which you might view as subsidies to the US government. A better question might be why Germany is wealthier than Spain. The answer will involve work ethic and discipline, attitude vs self-sacrifice, long-term strategic planning for industry, and so on. You probably won't see this is in individuals nowadays, but systemically and historically this might have been what "set the stage".