if (when) we europeanize, europe is in trouble

"By now you may have heard: America is on its way to becoming another European country.

Now, by that I do not mean that we’re moving our tectonic plate off the coast of France or anything, but rather that a century-long dream of American progressives is finally looking like it might become a reality. The recently passed health-care legislation is the cornerstone of the Europeanization of America. And to pay for it, the White House is now floating the idea of imposing a value-added tax (VAT) like the ones they have throughout most of Europe.

Europe is a free-rider. It can only afford to be Europe because we can afford to be America."

http://article.nationalreview.com/430816/if-we-europeanize-europe-is-in-trouble/jonah-goldberg