Changes

Politically, most countries are part of the [[European Union]] (EU), and (separately), most are part of the [[NATO]] military alliance.  The EU is slowly becoming a power in its own right, especially in economic affairs.  NATO has been the world's dominant military force, in large part because it is basically controlled by the United States.

Politically, most countries are part of the [[European Union]] (EU), and (separately), most are part of the [[NATO]] military alliance.  The EU is slowly becoming a power in its own right, especially in economic affairs.  NATO has been the world's dominant military force, in large part because it is basically controlled by the United States.

In recent years conservative parties have dominated in Europe, as typified by President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] of France and chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] of Germany.  Europe’s center-right parties have embraced many ideas associated with the left in the United States: generous welfare benefits, nationalized health care, sharp restrictions on carbon emissions, the ceding of some sovereignty to the European Union. But they have won elections by promising more efficiently than the left-wing parties, while working to lower taxes, improve financial regulation, and grapple with aging populations. They have supported the United States in Afghanistan (but not in Iraq). In general, labor unions are tied to the left in Europe and have the image of inefficiency and selfishness.  "Green" parties, emphasizing environmentalism, have drained off much of the younger leftist.<ref>Steven Erlanger, "In Bad Times for Capitalism, Socialists in Europe Suffer," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/europe/29socialism.html?ref=world ''New York Times'' Sept. 29, 2009]</ref>  

In recent years conservative parties have dominated in Europe, as typified by President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] of France and chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] of Germany.  Europe’s center-right parties have embraced many ideas associated with the left in the United States: generous welfare benefits, nationalized health care, sharp restrictions on carbon emissions, the ceding of some sovereignty to the European Union. But they have won elections by promising more efficiently than the left-wing parties, while working to lower taxes, improve financial regulation, and grapple with aging populations. They have supported the United States in Afghanistan (but not in Iraq). In general, labor unions are tied to the left in Europe and have the image of inefficiency and selfishness.  "Green" parties, emphasizing environmentalism, have drained off much of the younger leftist.<ref>Steven Erlanger, "In Bad Times for Capitalism, Socialists in Europe Suffer," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/europe/29socialism.html?ref=world ''New York Times'' Sept. 29, 2009]</ref> Europe is today a very leftleaning, secularized almost atheist society, with huge Muslim minorties and widely recognized rights for sodomizers. European culture must be seen as a serious threat to Conservative America.