>As an individual, you have no more history than I do. As a country, all of Europe does. However, my ancestors came from Europe as well and I share the same history as many Europeans. Only the most reason 2 hundred years differ. I have never heard that American civilization is more advanced or that Europe is a dead animal. The opposite as a matter of fact. I don't know where you are getting your information Walter, but I really don't think it represents most of American's viewpoints at all.

With we I was refering to Europe not to individuals. Americans might have a european history when they lived in europe, but the american history only is a couple of hundred years old.
And as notes by a famous dutch journalist, the ones who left europe were different from the ones who stayed. And yes, though america had their civil war, it is nothing compared of what happened on the european continent the last 2 or 3 hundred years. The napoleon wars, WWI and WW2 had devistating impact on its citizens. And of course all kinds of other 'incidents' like civil wars (e.g. spain). The ones who left europe left the old cities, the culture and phychological inheritance europe stands for, just to begin a new life, free and without the burden the history often was. Though every individual has a family history there is not such thing as a rich american history, though one might argue that the time of the natives (suchs as the inca's, etc) is also interesting, it really does not compare to europe and the other countries along the mediterreanean see in any aspect. This history still is visible, and still lives on in the cultures and languages. With this in mind, I think it is correct to say that europehas a much richer history than america.

Walter,