Quote:
Originally Posted by parnel
...Why does the US have a higher standard of living than we do?
...


By what measures? As pointed out, the quality of life measures used by the UN certainly don't show this. Maybe income, but that's about it. There are proportionately more poor and under educated in the United States than in Canada. We all know the sorry state of health care in the US. Sure it's great if you can get affordable insurance. And most pay whatever the income differential is per month to cover the cost of these policies.

Again, I invite you to pack up and move across the lake because you so detest everything that makes Canada so much move liveable for the vast majority of people. Sure, for the rich, the US is paradise. Low taxes, a fool's pricing for gas, massive denial of public infrastructure shortcomings -- just look to see how ignoring the need to buttress the levees around NOL have resulted in today's disaster. [And this was a natural disaster that had been ranked ahead of any west coast earth quakes, and for overall disaster, right behind an attack on NYC. But Buch still cut funds to the Army Corps of Engineers.] Schools are closing because states cannot balance their budgets. American students score lower than any others from supposed "developed" countries. For the majority, life below the border leaves a lot to be desired.


But of course when it comes to anything, including excess, the US will rank at the top of the list. More money is spent on pet food in the US than anywhere else in the world, combined. More money is spent on hair grooming in the US than the next ten countries. The US federal deficit this year is equal to that of all the other G8 countries combined, multiplied by 10.