If you are concerned about the complete loss of liberal laws and the projected loss of social benefits from your tax dollars, then it's up to the people to stand up to the government en masse and demand that they not develop the more extreme form of capitalism practiced by the U.S., and ideologically embraced by many of same working class Americans whom that type of system is hurting rather than benefiting. I know that the vast majority of Europeans I talk to are very much against the adoption of such policies ideologically, and are tired of the American government bullying the EU governments into adopting its own policies. If the people do not stand up, and they adopt the American cultural attitude of 'learned helplessness,' or claim they are "too busy" or "too tired" to fight, then they adopt one of the few worst qualities the Americans have, and they will be complicit in their own defeat. The people must never believe that they are inherently helpless to effect change on their collective circumstances, or that the ruling class of their respective nations are effectively all-powerful, or they end up sabotaging their own future security. Please understand why it irks me like few other things can when I read or hear European workers speaking in such defeatist terms.

And having been to Detroit myself, I am quite aware of what an appalling cesspool so much of that large city is. Any First World nation with a city like that, and others like it, are certainly in no position to brag about how "great" they are compared to any other nation, let alone other First World nations.