Compartive Differences USA & UK

 

That brings up a point with differences between the UK and USA - the pricing of computer software, especially that sold by Microsoft. If my memory serves me correctly (which if often does) the RRP for Flight Simulator X was $60USD whereas here (with the same release date, give or take a couple of days) it was £60GBP which was, even then around $110. All copies of Vista are 100% more expensive on this side of the "pond" - they cost twice as much as their US counterparts that are identical. Office 2007 is no different either.
Which begs the question why do they continue to charge us completely unjust prices?

It can't be that they have to ship the physical package from the US because Microsoft uses their factory in Ireland for manufacturing (just look on the boxes of many things Microsoft) EU products.
I saw a TV show about computer upgrades and when questioned a Microsoft spokesperson said "taxation, especially VAT in the European markets, is the primary reason for our carefully regulated price inflation" but he must have not read deeply into that - VAT is only around 15% in average.

Medical care systems are very different - the USA has no national health scheme whereas the UK has the NHS, which, despite the best intentions, is ailing miserably due to ineffeciency and mismanagement in the past few years.
There's the geographical layout of the nations - the UK has mild mountains at most and is mainly flat with mild climates - apart from the high areas of Scotland the climate of the UK is almost similar throughout the whole nation. The USA varies much more - there are the low, flat, dry areas of Death Valley, The Great Lakes of the Northeast, The massively tall Rocky Mountains, the temperate rainforests of southern Alaska, the Great Plains in the centre of the landmass.... the list goes on.  [/QUOTE]

Our petrol is cheap for no reason that it lacks the taxes your country imposes on it, and then those taxes are referred to public mass transportation.  Consider too, we are not charged by the USA for protecting oil access in the mid-East via our Military.

The United State budget of its Defense Department is only outlandish for a few reasons, It's not only protecting itself, but the entire world around us, or so it believes, second DOD is huge on mismanagement, waste and fraud. Consider too, we have over 200,000 Generals, Admirals and down to Colonels and Lieutenants.....to manage NCO's, about 2 million.

In 2002, a fellow strides into his new company, decides to throw the budget out, spend blindly and chockfuls of madness, initiate two wars eventually, fraught with mismanagement and heavy bouts of obtuseness, and now this company, it's stockbrokers going broke, it's team of executives reached a point of total confusion, let alone totally ineffective.

That folks, is the USA today.

SUV's, to my surprise are not so much on the road anymore, except by more affluent idiots.  Many who bought this vehicle liked them because they felt more protected.  For the third time in its history, they are switching to hybrids, fuel efficient and smaller vehicles. Today  relentlessly selling them or trading off for smaller, and losing money in the act.

Only where the Feds have any clout with the states, is when its ignored,  Washington on maintaining education as an example, funds are cut off.

Or if any state ignores speeding, drunk driving infractions, Feds stop giving that states it share from the trust of Highway Funds.

Massively tall Rockies, is a little different than you perceive.  The base around the mountains is already 5,300' (otherwise referred to as the great plains), and the mountains are around 14,900'.  As I recall, the Swiss mountains are almost as tall as the rockies, except for a lower base. Tibet has massive mountains.

Great Lakes are located in our midwest, not northeast, however true if you are starting from Colorado. Alaska knows no temperate rain forest, that is the Northwest, i.e., Washington and Oregon, think Seattle and Uncle Bill.

And you're right regarding our so called upcoming health plan, by socialism standards it will go broke before any one can call it that.