"Europe is undeniably healthier, but the U.S. is richer"

The café there wasn’t anything special by Italian standards, but to me as an American, it was outstanding: a display of fresh pastries and croissants, and an array of fruits, eggs, and sandwiches. Since it was my final day, I splurged and let the waitress-owner pick a sugary raisin pastry for me, and for the next hour, I sipped cappuccinos in the cobblestone square, watching the regulars come and go.

My meal in Italy was uplifting; the one in Atlanta was depressing. The aesthetics of pastries and eggs might seem trivial, but they aren’t—because they point to deeper, more profound differences between two different continents, and two very different cultures.

"The U.S. and Europe really do have two different understandings of what it means to be human, and this manifests in our rules, regulations, and social preferences."

While both the U.S. and Europe share a commitment to classical liberalism and democracy, we have very different definitions of the public good, and therefore very different views of what we want from life. In broad terms, the U.S. emphasizes material wealth, opportunity, and individual liberty, while Europe places more value on community health, shared resources, and a sense of place.

(can't say I agree that a society and its values are built "top down," but I'll let it slide.)

I am a product of American individuality, cultural flexibility, and economic might, and I’m not here to simply bite the hand that fed me.

rather than claiming Europe is superior, I’m simply saying: It’s different. The vast majority of people born and raised in Europe will prefer it there, and the same is true in the U.S., because we are all primed to embody the values we grow up around, and for almost everyone that means you are more comfortable living in the culture that raised you.