While America and Western Europe had economic ties, we were brought together in, more-or-less, a shotgun wedding by three wars: WWI, WWII, and the Cold War.

The American economy has shifted away from Europe and toward Asia. America's hot wars at the end of the 20th century (And yes, European nations were involved with the wars in Korea and Vietnam.) were being fought in Asia too. Since WWII, American focus has been continually shifting to Asia.

Maybe, it was only the threat, real or perceived, from the Soviet Union that kept the USA paying attention to Europe at all? With the Soviet Union's collapse, the last reason for the American-European marriage was gone. We found we didn't have much in common anymore and with the USSR gone, the reason to overcome differences was gone as well.

Maybe now, more and more, America is seeing Europe as economic and political competition while still using our military resources (yes, I'm sure many Europeans want Americans to leave and we don't want too) and not going along with hardly any American foreign policy any more? (I'm not arguing the U.S. foreign policy is always right, what I am suggesting is Europe doesn't go along with wrong American foreign policy anymore and it used to do so.)

Put it this way, you (Europe) don't need us (America) anymore as a protector and provider. Europeans rightfully want us to talk to and work with one another as equals. But we Americans are having trouble letting go of our old, co-dependant marriage. So, maybe when Americans think Europe is trying to be "better than us", Europe is really just trying to let the U.S. know that they need to move on, or at least, renegotiate our relationship in terms of who we both are now in 2006 and not who we both were in 1946?