The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining. Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations. They laugh at third-world America.
Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?
No. They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger. But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.
Euro expansion is actually leading to longer hours worked in some E.U. countries.
Also I think you might have a skewed outlook on the lot of the common European. The jetsetting, leisure class (your words) types that you come into contact are not wholly representative of the European population. Just like Puffy Daddy going off the Saint Tropez is not indicative of most Americans lifestyles. Strong American and European economies are not mutually exclusives events, rather, it is beneficial for both parties to have healthy economies.
