Ha, most of those items are already available in the States :).

Exactly - the US has already got all that, it's too late for them. Fortunately there's still hope for us...

> A common foreign policy

Why? Or if, then according to whose opinions? Even though our interest rates have converged, the foreign policy opinions certainly haven't...

> Consensus about the proper scope of federal rule

Amen

> A credible army

Why? So we can throw our weight around like the US do? Become another world police? Don't think anyone is really threatening us, so why bother...

> Some degree of sovereign power

EU's got this already - don't fool yourselves... Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that!

> A constitution

That's means to an end - you should define the end instead. Why do we need one? What is it going to define?

> Jobs

That's an end without means. How are we going to achieve this? Practical measures, not abstract goals.

> A sane immigration policy

How about we try enforcing any immigration policy first? It doesn't matter what the policy is if no one actually follows it...

> Aircraft carriers
> Air conditioning

Prime examples of huge wastage. Neither are really needed, except the latter maybe in the south for a few weeks/months a year. And at that time of year you can just go and swim in the sea to cool down...

Sorry Anders - couldn't have disagreed more. Hope it was meant as a joke...

Actually the only items I was referring to, the important ones at least, that we have are:

Decent Mexican food
Reductions in bureaucracy
A constitution (enforced sporadically and violated frequently, cf. the Patriot Act)
24 hour convenience stores
Deportation of all Eurovision contestants to karaoke bars in Central Asia - we don't have Eurovision but this may be a good solution for the American Idol rejects
Lower taxes
Aircraft carriers
Air conditioning - working is a lot easier when you're not sweating your ass off, you can't always be at the beach (as much as that would be great) Plus, France would not have lost over 15,000 residents to heat-related deaths if there was better cooling or some kind of temperature control (not to mention calling Grandmama a few times to check on her while you're away)

All the rest is either a) crap or b) we don't have it.

Petri, I know you hate the US, but you have to admit, you can't get decent burritos on the other side of the pond; plus I have yet to find a Korean restaurant in Europe ;)

And what do the States need in addition to love? I'd say some real French romantism, Italian cappuccino, some more tolerance... What else?