I dunno, I went to the US seven years ago and didn't envy peoples' lifestyles there to be absolutely honest. Sure, things were cheap but this was because your average American doesn't have as much money or disposable income as your average European.
===> I'm proud to be an American and I think your wrong for your are definitely over generalizing that the Average American doesn't have much money or disposable income. Money isn't everything.
I would disapprove of being left to die on a hospital trolley after being shot for dropping litter because hospital administrators were bitching about my medical insurance
====>Give a link to where that happen and I'll bet I could find something on your country or worse, which I'm not going to do for I sure the U.K. is a great country to visit as I'm sure there are other great countries worth visiting.
, or having to buy substandard food and clothes at cheap prices which aren't even that cheap when you consider the lower value of the dollar and lower US salaries on average.
+++> Also I take it your from the UK and if my memory serves me right you have or had Mad Cow Disease so I wouldn't be throwing stones at Glass Houses on the "Substandard" food issue.
I also found the housing in the midwest to be of piss-poor quality and this was when staying with my "middle class" relatives. I have never envied the US lifestyle, what with hot weather ===Snow is hot weather in the Midwest?, ugly cars ===> Ugly Cars compared to what? , crappy housing ===> Broad Statement and your opinion which I could careless about, terrible health care system ===> Don't you have Socialized Medicine which in my opinion is one of the worse forms of medicine, sensationalist media, paranoid fear of the arbitrary terrorist bogeyman ====> Let's see the last terrorist attack I recalling that happen in your country the police did a thing called shoot first ask questions later ...yeap that is the country I want to live in
, and low salaries ===> what do you consider?