According to the author, the United States differs from European countries primarily in the absence of rigid class distinctions based on social and business positions. In European countries, there are strict hierarchies, such as the reluctance of nobility to associate with those who lack titles, and high-ranking military officers not mixing with their lesser-ranked counterparts. The author notes this caste distinction, emphasizing that it does not exist in the United States, where social interactions are less constrained by such classifications. For example, the author highlights that "a member of the nobility" in Europe will hesitate to associate closely with those who hold no titles, illustrating the entrenched class system that is fundamentally different from the more egalitarian social environment of the United States.
“In your native land and mine, there are a multitude of class distinctions, based first upon social and business position in life, less so on financial standing. A member of the nobility, in any of the European countries, will hesitate to associate closely with those who hold no such titles. A high military officer [will not] associate with those of a lesser rank. Bankers [do not] associate with the manufacturers. There is ever … caste distinction in all of these European countries, which does not exist in this country.”
According to the author, how does the United States differ from European countries? Be sure to cite at least one specific example from the text.
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