European Dream: A New Dream for Human Development in the 21st Century

Author: Jeremy Rifkin (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: In the 19th century, the solemn and splendid Europe won admiration from the world; in the 20th century, the United States surpassed Europe comprehensively and became the new dream of humanity. Who will lead the trend in the 21st century—Europe's dream? America's dream? Humanity has never lived completely according to the dreams it designed, but Europeans have painted a new vision of the future. Humans always design, adjust, and strive to find a better way of life. "When the American spirit is 'waning' and 'fading,' a new European dream is taking shape," Jeremy Rifkin concludes boldly, which is a heavy blow to those obsessed with the 'American Dream'—The Washington Post. Rifkin challenges American hegemony with simple facts and data. While the 'European Dream' may be an impossible dream, it offers considerable inspiration for those concerned with the direction of humanity's future—Time Magazine. Americans come from Mars, Europeans from Venus. Americans soon adopted mobile phones. But the key is that the wireless revolution rose to prominence in Europe. In 2000, the EU was proud of having 661 mobile phones per 1,000 people, while in contrast, the U.S. had only 308 per 1,000, making Europe a global pioneer in adopting wireless communication technology. After living for centuries in the mindset of walls and fortresses, Europeans suddenly found a way to break free and liberate themselves. Mobile phones brought a new form of freedom: mobility—though, of course, different from the mobility that attracted millions of Americans to buy Henry Ford's affordable Model T cars a century ago. Americans saw the car as a means to conquer the vast and sprawling lands of the United States—to claim land, cultivate it, and make it easier to manage and control. The very name "automobile" carries profound meaning. Americans value "safety" more than any other nation as "autonomy" and "mobility." On the frontier, human interaction was extremely scarce, and the environment was full of threats, so self-reliance and mobility became ways to ensure safety. "Autonomy" means independence and not relying on or benefiting from others. Mobility, in turn, guarantees endless new opportunities. In mythology, the American cowboy and his horse are revered. The free-spirited, nomadic figure perfectly captures the American mindset. With the great American frontier and the cowboy who tamed it fading away, Henry Ford began selling mechanical alternatives to horses. Cars allowed every American to experience a sense of freedom, just as cowboys did when they rode their horses across the western frontier. In Europe, the experience of freedom developed along different lines. Here, there was undoubtedly a frontier mentality, but in a more fluid way. Various colonial expeditions took Europeans to the far corners of the world. Some came as settlers to America, Australia, and South Africa, adapting to the frontier mentality. But many others arrived as colonial administrators, military commanders, and agents representing local business and political interests. They were extensions of the old world and never truly shed their "European-ness." Europeans' pursuit of safety has always been more closely tied to integration into a community—whether through feudal contracts in the Middle Ages or by joining guilds in fortified towns. Only by nesting within a community are individuals safe from external aggression and bullying. Drawbridges, moats, and watchtowers are symbolic of Europe's spatial worldview in architecture. The idea of an individual wandering freely and relying solely on their own strength in the boundless frontier has little meaning for Europeans today. The fact that mobile phone technology succeeded first in Europe is extraordinary. Mobile phones allow individuals to maintain uninterrupted contact with their communities. They enable people to break free from geographical constraints and gain spatial freedom, while still remaining connected in time. This hits the core of the difference in temporal and spatial perception between Europeans and Americans. Americans crave exclusive space. Everyone struggles for self-sufficiency and independence. This is why we prioritize privacy. Europeans seek inclusive space—becoming part of an expanded community, including family, kinship, ethics, and class identity. Privacy is secondary to connection. For Americans, time is oriented toward the future and seen as a tool for exploring new opportunities. For Europeans, time is more oriented toward the past and the present, used to establish and nourish connections. P79-80