The principal difference here is that, while in the US, the central government weilds a lot of power and influence, the central government in Europe has comparitively little.
The problem in the US is that one of the principal tools used by the central government there has been to generate and play upon the insecurity Americans are taught, almost from birth.
America is not under any threat. It is un-invadable, even without its military machine.
The tea party is clearly an attempt to revive the supposed patriotism of the time of the declaration of independance. This is a direct reference to the generated fears that America is being taken over from within. The over-reaction to the claims of building a mosque on ground zero are a case in point. The mosque is already there, it's just a rebuild. The site is some distance from ground zero. But the claim of a mosque being build over the dead bodies of 9/11 is enough to cause fear. Obama had little choice but to defend freedom of worship since he swore to do just that.
At a recent Washington rally by the tea party Glenn Black talks about winning America back for god.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11114172 This has echos of the early 50s when the spector of communism was generated to the extent that an extra line, referencing God was put into the oath of allegence.
It's all quite astonishing to the outside observer.
