The US leads in the one category that matters: economy. The EU has a slight edge, but if we break it down by country, it isn't even close. If memory serves, if California was a country of its own, it would be the fifth largest economy in the world.
So you have to put up with our stupid asses because we has the moneys.
Not about money but stupidity, bigotry and general obnoxiousness.
When you are the world's top economy, those things tend to get ignored. When you are able to spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined, that also helps.