Coach I don't understand your point at all. Europeans are very trade oriented and I don'tknow that the European Union is a whole lot smaller than what the typical North American traverses.
In fact, most of the Europeans I know are FAR more traveled than the average American.
Europeans deal with things like higher tax rates and outrageous gas prices by having smaller, less ostentatious lifestyles and by driving smaller, far more fuel efficient cars.
The average South Carolinian whose kid plays for CESA or Bridge or CUFC or Discoveries or Mount Pleasant....is probably living on a house at least 3000 sq feet and driving something along the lines of a Suburban or some other oversized gas guzzler.
The middle class professionals that I know in Germany live in apartments or 1800 sq foot homes and drive 300 series beemers or vw equivalents with a turbocharged diesel engine.
