The raw GDP differences come in very large part from exchange rate fluctuations and increasing costs & population in the US, not a meaningful increase in what the average American can buy with their earnings. PPP adjusts for these.
In terms of "how much <basket of normal purchases> can people buy" numbers, the EU is closer to the US today than it has ever been.
(That said, I fully agree with the post's conclusion regardless: a simple unified way to create an EU business & a universal language base would be a huge boost)
If you look at cost-relative (PPP) & per-capita numbers, the EU economy has been growing at a very similar or faster rate than the US for decades.
https://statisticstimes.com/economy/united-states-vs-eu-econ... has a good introduction to the top-line numbers. https://www.bruegel.org/analysis/european-unions-remarkable-... has a more detailed analysis.
The raw GDP differences come in very large part from exchange rate fluctuations and increasing costs & population in the US, not a meaningful increase in what the average American can buy with their earnings. PPP adjusts for these.
In terms of "how much <basket of normal purchases> can people buy" numbers, the EU is closer to the US today than it has ever been.
(That said, I fully agree with the post's conclusion regardless: a simple unified way to create an EU business & a universal language base would be a huge boost)