American model still the best for consumers

A TRIP to the US is always an interesting experience and nearly always a pleasurable one.

Having spent Christmas and the New Year in California, I remain convinced that despite its many detractors, the US is one of the best countries in the world to live in or visit.

The fact that so many people around the world still want to get into the country legally or illegally is solid evidence of this fact. The “can do” attitude is fantastic, begrudgery is not as obvious and pervasive as it is here, service providers know how to treat the customer, and the price of most goods and services highlights the extent to which the Irish consumer is being ripped off.

On the other hand it is also apparent that the US is a society in a serious state of flux, whose sense of security has been utterly undermined since the events of 9/11. This has made life there a lot less comfortable, but most citizens regard the changed security environment as a price worth paying for personal safety.

Over the holiday period the country was on “orange alert”, the second highest level of perceived threat or danger in the post 9/11 world. It is not clear how scientifically-based the move to this status was, but it does indicate a belief throughout US society that another and more serious terrorist attack is a high probability at some stage.

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has heavily-armed soldiers at each end and patrons visiting theme parks such as Disneyland are subject to search.

Air travel has been most adversely affected and has become a major chore. Security at airports is intimidating and most, if not all, items of luggage are routinely opened and searched. This is a time-consuming exercise and as a consequence many person hours are wasted in queues.

The bad news is that the level of airport security is set to intensify. The decision to photograph and fingerprint air passengers has elicited a negative response in certain quarters in recent days, but before we judge, we should put ourselves in the shoes of the US.

The country has become a prime target for terrorist attacks and nobody should be surprised that authorities are reacting as they are. In fact, people should welcome the increased vigilance, as it is an attempt to enhance personal safety.

On the political front 2004 promises to be interesting. In November George W Bush seeks to achieve what his father failed to do, namely secure a second term in the White House. The omens for Mr Bush are good.The economy is in strong recovery mode and the capture of Saddam Hussein has revived a semblance of belief in the war in Iraq.

However, the biggest factor in the incumbent’s favour is the lack of a credible alternative. Hillary Clinton appears to be the only Democrat capable of defeating Bush, but she realises that even her chances of victory would be slim and probably believes that 2008 would represent her best opportunity.

Howard Dean is doing reasonably well, but is unlikely to last the pace. Hence, come January 2005, another 4 years of George W appears the likeliest prospect. At least that would give the bleeding heart liberals, particularly in Co Clare, another four years of bitching opportunities.

For an Irish visitor to the US, the weak dollar makes the country look incredibly cheap. However, regardless of the advantageous dollar, the US is so much cheaper than Ireland for most goods and services, health being one notable exception.

I made the mistake of paying €21.99 for the Beatles “Let it Be - Naked” CD in Grafton Street recently. The same CD can be bought in the US for $12.99, and carry out coffee is roughly half the price.

Ireland in recent years has seen a dramatic increase in the cost of living, whereas the US has seen a decline in prices.

This does not bode well for the competitiveness of the Irish economy. It is time we woke up and smelled the coffee.