First, I think all of your comments are interesting but doesn't anybody think that the size and population of the U.S. is a factor in any of this?

I could compare a lemonade stand to coca cola and come to the conclusion that the owner of the lemonade stand (a 9 year old boy) has a better business plan then coca cola company because his profit margin is a lot higher due to his incredible efficiency an low over head.
truth be known he's not busy enough to have to deal with hiring employees, he only makes one kind of drink so there is never any waste, he's cute and has no competition

Look, there are over 300 MILLION people in the US 3rd highest in the world. Japan has a little over 100 Million.........that's a 3rd less
France has a little over 60 million........ that's 5 times less
the netherlands has a little over 15 million.....that's 20 times less

Life expectancy for the US is 78.06
Life expectancy in france is 80.59..... a little over 2 years
Does anybody have any idea of how many different life styles, eating habits there are in the US compared to ANY of the ones in question? It is proof of how great this country is that we are so closely comparable.

How about quality of life?
U.S. ranks 12th at 0.951
France ranks 11th at 0.952
Netherlands ranks 9th at 0.953
This is also how great this country is because we are so comparable.

On top of all of this, we have the largest and strongest military in the world....don't forget that. It costs a lot of money to be a super power.
Also, I've met many people in my life time that have flown here...to the US for surgery because their hospitals weren't good enough to take on a given procedure.
Something as simple as an MRI...something used quite frequently to find cancer in the body is not used in Canada, they have to drive over the border for that.
Now, of course there are examples of government run programs but that is the problem they keep growing and growing and growing.
That is the greed of the government...nothing more. Stamp out greed, make government smaller, that's how life gets better in the US.

If anybody really wants to know the truth look up who has been running this country since the 50's
Both the House and the Senate, you know the guys that vote on everything, have had a majority of democrats overwhelmingly since 1955.
Until 1983 there was never a republican majority for either.
Collectively the republicans have run both houses about a total of 20 times in 53 years that means that 80 times collectively the democrats have.

Good day and good luck!