>>>As to the idea that I should go there and see for myself - not too bad, but in the age of intertubes I'd expect that there's an easier way. Like, reading what European economists may have to say (which I may completely fail to accomplish by going there - I'd first take my time to walk the streets, ride a bicycle to somewhere and back, see the people on the streets, and enjoy beer). One would expect the fairness doctrine to audiantur et altera pars, but somehow in the articles criticizing EU, Russia or China that's mostly missing.
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>>I did look for any economist's article on the economic success of the EU, but everything is dated back in 2006 or earlier mostly spouting the first 3 years. These days, the focus is on the politics of it all. Surprisingly, the greatest negativity is not coming from this side of the pond - it is from over there and from numerous countries.
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>I'm not surprised. There's the old European habit of complaining endlessly. Probably the last time they said they were fine someone came and occupied the country, or doubled the taxes or caused some other trouble.
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>OTOH, one would expect the "this is bad" noise to be coming from this side much louder, but it doesn't. There's an interesting article about the royal subject mentality of the citizens of The Republic, in Harper's (though I just gave up on trying to find the link to it, 'coz I can't remember the month or title), where one guy was never forgiven the moment of absentmindedness in which he addressed "mr Truman", not "mr President", while in the royal UK it's quite normal that an old lady at a city hall meeting would scald the PM with "you were wrong there, Tony".
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>And I've seen such examples of obedience and downright docility in situations where it actually wasn't enforced, not even required, that in some respects it resembled what I saw of USSR in those two weeks I went there (as a tourist).

I remember reading that as well. This is the article I recall:

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/06/0082039

Is that the one?

Lately, I've been struck by the lack of quality in magazines that once were a challenge to read. In my college days (early 80s), I kept a dictionary handy when reading. What happened to the New Yorker, Harper's, and Atlantic Monthly articles of the past? Not to mention that these days, a dictionary is no longer an authoritarive guidance on the English language, but rather a compilation of corruptions and mutilations.