I think we're behind schedule. Those countries have already tried the Obama Way and found out that it doesn't work - the USA still has some hard experience to gain. ;)
You’re right — we’re behind schedule.
They’re in the same demographic bind on social welfare systems that we are. If you look at Japan, Germany, Italy, et al — they’re collapsing from within, as their boomers get older and start sucking the coffers dry, they have a real (and very deep) gap in working population contributing to these pay-as-you-go social welfare systems (their equivalents of our Social Security and Medicare).
Our rate of immigration and higher birthrate has postponed our demographic/economic implosion by about eight to 10 years, but even we cannot escape it.
These pay-go systems, coupled with the huge “pig in the python” that is the Boomer generation, is going to cause huge re-evaluation of the social welfare costs in the “social democrat” states of Europe and Japan. Go read some of the english language press in German (or about Germany) on their policy changes on this stuff. It is a very sobering read.