Why Is Europe Losing Money and Power?
Robert John Zagar PhD MPH and Agata Karolina Zagar MBA
When the United States came to rescue Europe in World War II it set up the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to encourage business, innovation and investment. This worked for 65 years until the millennium arrived. In the past 25 years, the European Union has lost 45% of its gross domestic product, roughly 2% annually. Why? Cumbersome regulation, rising taxes and a stifling bureaucracy headquartered in Brussels and other EU capitals. There are many examples.
When Americans would ask the French and the Spanish to help in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, their response was, “We have to check with Brussels.” When Poles were questioned their response was, “When, where and how!” Furthermore, NATO is weak, underfunded, and for 80 years the Europeans continue to demand the Americans supply their defense. There are few European patriots to defend the EU borders. Recent Russian drone incursions over Poland, Denmark, and Germany are examples.
The EU pours billions into public aid and questionable energy projects. In Germany the cost of power had doubled with excessive dependence on solar and wind sources of energy. The United States has shown that there is an alternative approach. Americans are producing more coal, natural gas and oil and building new nuclear power plants than any time in history. There is no American or European electrical national grid for electric vehicles. Try driving a Tesla across the United States or Europe. In Europe, creativity and originality are punished. The EU is fining American technology companies for success and profit. The EU signed on to NATO agreements that require freedom of speech, but speak freely in Europe and one is likely to land in jail for “offensive language.” When pressed for a definition of “offensive language” the EU authorities hesitate at giving a definition sensing the absurdity of their position. The lack of creativity, intellectual curiosity and originality in new startups in the EU is lacking. When has one heard of a Tesla or an X or new business product coming from Europe?
In the educational system from preschool through professional colleges, business persons, engineers, lawyers, physicians, are excluded and males are made to feel uncomfortable participating. Schools do not reflect the population demographics and creativity is stifled. When have European colleges challenged American universities? Many decades ago. Overwhelmed with poor immigrants, European schools are hard pressed to teach native citizen youth. Again American business persons started the charter school movement which will eventually phase out public education that has been slowly hollowed out by a steady decline in standards, curriculum, and prestige.
Unparalleled immigration has changed the mix of genders, races, ethnicities and religious backgrounds of many countries to the detriment of the European culture. In some sections of European cities Sharia law, something unheard of and unacceptable for centuries, rules. Importing millions from Africa and the Middle East, populations that do not join and integrate into European society well, disenfranchises the average European voting, taxpaying citizen. The United States has shown how unfettered immigration can be reversed. Expulsion has resulted in a severe drop in homicide and other violent crimes, has freed up jobs and housing for Americans, and lowered the waiting time to see physicians in hospitals. Trillions were wasted in U.S. tax dollars to fund illegal entry of uneducated, unskilled workers who put a significant weight on the economy.
No wonder that the United States will be moving much of it’s military out of the EU in the next few years. Perhaps Europe will change course and correct their errors, but past history is the best predictor of future performance. The World Economic Forum, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank for International Settlements, the International Court of Justice, and NATO – have overstepped their authority, have set unfair rules of play, and are arbitrary and unpredictable for both business and government, a choice that will undoubtedly lead to more failure and loss in money and power. The seizing of Russian assets is another example of incompetence. The Euro currency was advertised as an alternative, but it was the United States Federal Reserve that had to bail out the EU under Ben Bernanke. Americans are losing their patience with the EU and for good reason. Americans wasted trillions on rebuilding Europe, yet the EU keeps demanding the US foot the bill for its defense, fund its energy follies, tolerate its lack of basic freedoms, allow unfettered immigration, and encourage growing public aid and welfare. None of these current approaches make any economic sense.
Robert John Zagar PhD MPH is a clinical, forensic, industrial, school, and neuropsychologist, who testified before the US House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism and Homeland Security 24 July 2012 about starting the “1-Summer-youyh-jobs-program” that targeted 311,599 high risk youth over 17 years with mentors, anger management, saving $3.6B-$5.3B in Chicago insurance victim payouts, preventing 1,242 homicides, lowering shootings 46%, and decreasing violent delinquent offenses 77%. Chicago’s mayor used Robert’s research as basis for the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Pope Francis employed Zagar’s research in the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to make new canonical laws aimed at clerical pedophilia. His new books, 124 Real Life Stories, and Math & Science of Finding High Risk Persons, will soon be available on Amazon.com. Robert graduated from Northwestern University with a doctorate in research design and statistics, a postdoctoral master degree in public health, two years each in premedical and basic medical sciences. Zagar taught in a dozen universities and authored over seventy peer reviewed scientific articles. Agata Karolina Zagar with her triplet sisters starred in a Polish movie while in high school, taught at her local elementary school, and graduated with a bachelor degree from University of Illinois at Chicago and a master degree from Roosevelt University (both in business management). Agata worked at the main headquarters of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in Toronto. They live in Edgewater Chicago as members of Holy Name Cathedral parish.
