Admittedly with the faltering US economy, the EU is now a bigger economy but that doesn't alter the fact that the US is the motor for innovation and growth -- you only have to look around you: America sneezed, the world caught cold, Black Monday, Black Tuesday, etc. Who speaks of "vassaldom to the USA,"? If you translates being ally into "vassaldom", we have a problem... suggest consult dictionary. Being an ally doesnt entail dependence.