I don't think that the article meant that Americans feel less insecurity than the Europeans. I think that statement should be understood in the context of the a

I don't think that the article meant that Americans feel less insecurity than the Europeans. I think that statement should be understood in the context of the author's reaction to his situation: his self-described passivity. In my experience, it is the case in many European countries that when there is perceived financial insecurity, or other threat to material well-being (eg. welfare changes), the insecurity people feel quickly turns into anger and then political protest - strikes, demonstrations etc. The US, and to a lesser extent the UK, people engage in a lot of expression of all the same emotions in the media, but due to cultural differences that does not translate into the kind of civic protest seen on the old continent. Hence the populace in the US can be perceived as more tolerant. That's how I understood what he said, anyway.