I have never and will never advocate getting rid of the welfare system (which in the US was abolished by Bill Clinton).

Ronald Reagan and Bush the Greater, actually. Clinton just presided over the funeral. But hey, who's counting.

I would like to have a google, yahoo, microsoft, ebay, facebook or so.

Actually, I could do without a Microsoft in the Union. Microsoft should never, ever, in any properly managed universe have become as big as they did. In fact, they should have been killed off in their fight against IBM which had a clearly superior system but unfortunately also had clearly inferior lawyers.

That being said, however:

• I see your eBay and raise you a Skype.

• I see your Google and raise you a Nokia.

• I see your Yahoo and raise you a Zentropa.

• I see your FaceBook and raise you a Kazaa.

It is not at all obvious that Europe offers less fertile grounds for creative start-up companies - whether in the IT sector or anywhere else.

And I would point out that in quite a lot of areas, Europe is doing a lot better than the US:

• US cars, for example are notorious for their inability to handle even moderately unfriendly weather conditions.

• European power plants are better across the board than their American counterparts.

• When was the last time an American railroad ran on time?

• Hollywood.

And our openness is exactly what makes the pressure on wages in our countries. In 20 years this is over. Let China, India and Brasil become half as rich as the developed world and you will see that gloablisation starts to become a better game for workers.

A rather deterministic view of history for a non-Marxist. If their labour organises, if labour unions don't undercut each other across country borders and if something serious is done about flag-of-convenience countries, then yes. But all three will require political will and political action.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.