Are US Returns on Equity in the US Higher Than in Europe?

returns on equity for US businesses are amazingly high, higher than in Europe. Are these highs completely attributable to accounting shenanigans? American business has done very well excluding very well, excluding any accounting activities that Charlie and I might differ with. John Gallop from Kansas City asked a follow up question about how financial statements can be distorted by making over optimistic assumptions About returns for the attention portfolio. He said: "I cannot talk just as well as you can"