> Repeat that reasoning 1000 times and it becomes much clearer why Europe is being dwarfed economically by the US http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/

> Repeat that reasoning 1000 times and it becomes much clearer why Europe is being dwarfed economically by the US http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/290-width/images/print-edition/20120728_FBC674.png http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecac... So when you are dealing with crappy Comcast support, you are still happy beacause at least you are doing business with a FT Global 500 company? Maybe the chart can in part be explained by Europeans' preference of approachable mid-tier companies ("Mittelstand") over megacorps. Futhermore, the EU consists of 28 sovereign countries, most with their own language, so a higher economic fragmentation is inevitable. Yes, Europe has fallen behind in the IT business, and bureaucracy is too widespread. But that chart doesn't have a lot to do with this.