So a question that made me wonder for a while now is how (according to Wikipedia) the US can have more than twice as much debt (per citizen) compared to the EU and the EU and the Euro, which still is stronger than when it was when it started out compared to the USD is said to have trouble and people don't trust it.

Well, being a Bitcoin fan and relatively independent of the Euro, as well as being an Anarchist/Social Libertarian and so don't really care about countries. Also don't know in which one I'll stay in the long run, so please don't answer with EU/US is better. I am more interested into how that from an economical perspective makes sense and I don't know a better forum to ask.

Oh, actually the reason I ask is that I don't really get how most European countries can have so much welfare compared to the US. I know there is taxes and stuff, but still when I compare the US friends and the EU friends incomes (don't know it from everyone, but quite a few) then it seems to be about even. Are there statistics? What they are able to afford appears to be about the same.