Europe buys the future, America builds it
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Finance & economics | Free Exchange<br>Europe buys the future, America builds it<br>Does that matter? A high-stakes transatlantic spat has erupted over GDP figures<br>Share
Illustration: Álvaro Bernis
Jun 18th 2026|5 min read
Europeans do NOT often holiday in America: too far and, these days, too dear. Except for the World Cup. As fans chase their sides across America this summer, they are discovering country music, ranch dressing and—most striking of all—the mass affluence of America’s suburbs. “DUDE LMAO THIS IS A GAS STATION”, marvelled one German online upon encountering Bu-cee’s, a chain of gobsmackingly large Texan rest stops.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Europe buys the future, America builds it”
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