Can Europe be the Shangri-la of the future?
By Alazar K. Many of us believe that the American dream is the worlds dream. The American and European dreams are – at their core- about two diametrically opposed ideas of freedom and security. While Americans have long valued autonomy as a component of freedom, Europeans find this same freedom within communities. While both dreams have their merit, the American writer Jeremy Rifkin sees the European Dream as better serving the future of humanity. Americans hold a negative definition of what it means to be free and, thus, secure. For the Americans, freedom has long been associated with autonomy. If one is autonomous, he or she is not dependent on others or vulnerable to circumstances outside of his or her control. To be autonomous, one needs to be propertied. The more wealth one amasses, the more independent one is in the world. One is free by becoming self-reliant and an island unto oneself. With wealth comes exclusivity – and with exclusivity comes security. The new European Dream, h
