It’s startling to note how some economists on the left have been quick to convince themselves that the Greek debt crisis is evidence of disdain on the part of the EU establishment. Evidently there is still a powerful streak of resentment toward presumed European elitism running through the veins of certain American commentators.

Paul Krugman previously blamed the “arrogance” of the European policy elite for pushing the eurozone “into adopting a single currency well before the continent was ready for such an experiment.” He liked to blame the euro for all of Greece’s problems, ignoring, of course, the simple truth that the country would probably have gotten into much greater trouble, and definitely much faster, if it hadn’t been able to rely upon the relative stability of the common currency.

Simon Johnson recently joined him in parade, writing for The Huffington Post that the very same “European policy elite”, “after months of denial,” is still failing to comprehend the deeper flaws that are supposedly are the root of the crisis.

The Europeans, according to Johnson, “have not planned for these events,” which is true; “they never gamed this scenario, and their decision making structures are incapable of updating quickly enough.” Maybe Europe could have stepped in to help sooner but note that just weeks after European Council President Herman Van Rompuy pledged solidarity with Greece, a multibillion euro bailout plan has been made available together with the IMF. One wonders just how quick Johnson would have the “decision making structures” of the Union be capable of “updating” themselves.

What’s more though, “the incompetence at the level of top European institutions is profound and complete,” he believes. Johnson is echoing a sentiment expressed by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in February here, who complained at the time that the EU was turning his country into “a laboratory animal in the battle between Europe and the markets.”

If one considers the speed with which European policy makers enacted massive bailouts of financial institutions on the brink of collapse last year; if one considers the relative urgency with which European leaders agreed to an unprecedented effort to contain the crisis in Greece this week; and if one considers that the involved Directorates-General for Competition, Economic and Financial Affairs, Enterprise and Industry, Internal Market and Services, and Trade respectively employ just 749, 506, 785, 469 and 470 civil servants, it’s hard to honestly blame Europe for “profound and complete” incompetence at an institution level.

When it comes to chastising European “arrogance” though, we surely wouldn’t want such telling achievements to get in the way of making a good show now, would we? Instead, let’s pretend that those priggish French are smiling upon the fiscal woes in the south “with a feeling of superiority” because reaffirming a stereotype is much more satisfying than reminding readers that it were those same Frenchmen who rather had Europe come to Greece’s aid alone, without interference from the IMF.

Since we can’t seem to rely on Europe, “what we need is a new approach,” notes Johnson—”at the G20 level.” So, an organization that isn’t even an organization rather an informal platform lacking any power to regulate let alone intervene will be better equipped to handle near sovereign bankruptcy than the European Union which, before anything else, has been dedicated to building a common market and of which many member states have an actual stake in ensuring the future stability of the euro because they carry the same currency? I think not.

The one thing that is “seriously wrong” here is not European attitudes but the utter incompetence of certain non-European analysts to see the Union for what it is. Disregarding a handful of forward looking officials working in the halls of powers along the Rue de la Loi in Brussels, there are very few politicians in Europe today who dream of coming to a federal state at any point in the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, there are plenty of American commentators who insist on describing Europe as though it were similar in this sense to the United States. It isn’t. And it won’t be any time soon.