Reply #16: Europe went the other way after WWII. The EU now has 27 countries (500 million people) [View All]

living with free trade and open borders with each other. "National security" has improved in Europe with no conflicts in recent decades after a history of invasions from one direction or another and rivalries between England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and others. Their societies now are more prosperous than before and with national health care, effective market regulation, progressive taxation and limited military spending (since they don't need to spend a lot on the military to protect themselves from each other) are more supportive of average people.

In the US, on the other hand, we more often see national security in terms of walling out people and products (progressive approach) or maintaining a big, aggressive military (conservative approach) rather than opening ourselves up to our neighbors like Europe has done.