Reply #1: what bullshit

[reggie the dog]

Yes there are problems with our power grid in the south, because we protested and stopped them from putting high tension wires across the gorges de verdun (the grand canyon of europe) but to go so far as to assert that Europe is going to collapse farther and further than the USA is just laughable. First off we would have to fall pretty damn far to end up as bad off as the USA in terms of wealth distribution, access to education, access to health care, and use of natural resources per person. We have nuclear electricty which powers our trains, so even if oil runs very low we can transport goods via rail. EDF still sells electricity to other countries.

US farming is more dependent on fossil fuels simply because you cannot ship the products to markets by electric train. As far as I know farming is heavily subsidized in the USA too.

I live here in the south of France and I heard nothing about a widespread power outage down here. I live in the countryside where the grid is not that well developed. Truly what city was out for a long period of time?????

Also if you want to compare a place to the Roman empire before the fall, look at the USA. It blows a shitload of money on wars which they win less and less often. People are getting lazier and fatter all the time and are lazier and fatter than in any EU country. Hell there was an article I read about the baghdad bulge, soldiers getting fat eating at burger king in Iraq and not going out on mission enough. SOLDIERS GETTING FAT! Bankers run the show in the USA a lot more than in Europe. Working people generally have a better lot over here in France what with national health insurance, and universities that cost our kids between 4 and 300 euros per year depending on income level.

Sorry but I just do not see this article as describing any reality I saw on either side of the Atlantic. I lived in the USA for 24 years and France for nearly 7 years now.