What's wrong with Europe?

[foxgrrl]

If you're an American reading this, and you've never been to Europe. What are some of the bad things/stereotypes you hear about it? I've heard some Americans go on and on about how Europe is such a horrible place, and how to USA is superior in all ways and crap like that. But I can't remember any specifics right now; So someone tell me something specifically bad about Europe. Like, hypothetically, if I was going to move to somewhere in Western Europe for the next several years, how would you talk me out of it?

[So far, my experience here is that everything really is better in Europe than in the US.]

Comments

[kitten-goddess.livejournal.com]

Most of the things I've heard about Europe are quite good. For instance, national health care, far more enlightened and educated and progressive citizens, and better public transit systems.

I've also heard the usual nonsense about Europe being "godless" (whatever that means) and "socialist." (I actually think socialism is a good thing, provided the country is a democracy.)

The two bad things I've heard that really scare me:

1. There is no First Amendment. You can go to jail for years for saying stuff that is deemed "hate speech."

2. Europe is beginning to letting fundamentalist Muslim immigrants dictate state policy (seeting aside certain areas to be under sharia and stuff.) NOTE: The "fundamentalist" part of that scares me, not the Muslim or immigrant parts.

Please note that I have only heard these things. I don't know whether or not they are true.