Standard of living in UK better than in USA

Telegraph ^ | 1/7/2008 | Lucy Cockcroft

[anobium]

You may have bigger houses and cars etc,but whats the point if you don’t have time to appreciate them.
The difference between you Yanks and us Brits is that you live to work whereas we just work to live.
The minimum annual holiday allowance in the uk is 4 weeks plus all the bank holidays.
The last time I was in the states I was told that your annual holiday /vacation is 2 weeks per year plus national holidays.
Your only here once so take time out to enjoy it, go and visit other countries.
Material things count for nothing once you’ve popped your clogs.
Have a nice day.

[RooRoobird20]

I have five weeks vacation per year. Only entry level employees with no seniority have 2 weeks vacation per year. Of course if you earn minimum wages commensurate with minimum skills, you don’t get any paid vacation.

Hubby and I have plenty of time and money to enjoy life and leisure. We Americans work hard and play hard—wouldn’t have it any other way.

[anobium]

Fair enough,but everybody in this country is by law entitled to 4 weeks annual holiday irrespective of what level of pay and skill they are on.
Obviously the higher skilled and paid have longer holidays
Sure we have our share of so called poor, but you also have them in the states.
There is a lot wrong with the UK but I think by and large we have our priorities in the right order.
Don’t take this the wrong way but the general consensus of yanks in this country is that you all seem to be obsessed with trying to impress others, be it plastic surgery, your teeth,flashy but not very good cars, etc etc
Despite all this you also by and large seem top spend a lot of time with either your therapist or your counsellors.
I won’t even go down the road re your crime and murder rates.
However I do accept that the average yank is far more well mannered than the average brit which is something of a contradiction in terms considering your murder rate.
Maybe between the two nations we could learn something from each other and come up with a better system.

[lowbridge]

bump

[RooRoobird20]

Go ahead and think whatever you want about us--it doesn't bother us or stop us from succeeding. In fact, it's that kind of Euro-sniping that makes most of us just smile, stick our chins in the wind and work even harder. That's something uniquely American, and that's one of the things I love most about this country. America is the greatest nation on earth and in human history. We feed, protect, clothe, heal, and provide stupendous amounts of charity to world--Great Britain included. You should sit back and ask yourself why you and your friends are so negative about Americans. Could it be................envy?

[Ann Archy]

PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS!!!!! I lived in London and my husband gave me more in an allowance than most made in a salary. MOST have NO CARS....live 3 or more to a flat....they DO drink a lot though.

[Crystal Cove]

I wonder if it has anything to do with Europeans having different desires and expectations than we do. I wonder how many Europeans feel “forced” to ride public transportation, or really want a big house with more space than they need. I think they may be more into having what they need, as opposed to our bigger is better mentality.

[anobium]

Sorry if it came across as as sniping, that wasn’t my intention.
A criticism yes, but if you can’t stand criticism, so what.
As for being the greatest nation on earth and in human history! it depends on what criteria you are basing that statement on.
I am sure quite a few academics and historians could give you a good argument on that one.
As for you providing charity to this country, would you mind elaborating on this point.
By the way don’t mention the aid in WW11,you didn’t give us that, we paid for everything and contributed to one of the greatest periods of growth in the american economy.
Finally envy is not a particularly common british trait, at least not amongst my family and friends, is it common in the states.

[anobium]

Couldn’t agree with you more, I could afford a bigger house and car but why.
All you end up doing is spending more time cleaning and maintaining the dam things.
Life is for living not collecting things to show off.

[RooRoobird20]

Another great thing about the United States is how we come to the aid of our allies, get no gratitude or respect for what we do, and we continue to aid and protect them anyway.

I imagine there are lots of left-wing academics who think the United States is rotten. These taxpayer-supported unaccountable socialists dominate academia in Europe and the United States.

By all measures of economic strength, military might and how it’s used, and charity here and abroad, there has never been a greater nation who has had so much power and used it for much good.

I don’t expect you to understand this because you live in a socialist country which brainwashes you.
When was the last time you spent any time in the United States? We’re a huge country and Hollywierd /CNN/NBC/CBS/ABC do NOT accurately represent what life in America is really all about.

[anobium]

Another great thing about the United States is how we come to the aid of our allies, get no gratitude or respect for what we do, and we continue to aid and protect them anyway

Pass

I imagine there are lots of left-wing academics who think the United States is rotten. These taxpayer-supported unaccountable socialists dominate academia in Europe and the United States

Whew! No comment

By all measures of economic strength, military might and how it’s used, and charity here and abroad, there has never been a greater nation who has had so much power and used it for much good

Fair point but compared to other great powers previously you have only been around 5 minutes.
Don’t forget that in a few years you will be down the pecking order to China and India.

I don’t expect you to understand this because you live in a socialist country which brainwashes you

Not worthy of a response.

When was the last time you spent any time in the United States? We’re a huge country and Hollywierd /CNN/NBC/CBS/ABC do NOT accurately represent what life in America is really all about.

About 6 years ago and enjoyed it and the people immensely.
Watch Fox news regularly.

[RooRoobird20]

You know, I initially didn’t want to see this turned into a British-bashing thread, but now I understand why it’s become such.

You Brits really have a chip on your shoulder about the U.S.A.!!! But then again, who’d have thought a bunch of colonial PEASANTS would kick the British Empire’s @ss and 200+ years later still be going strong? Ya’ll were something in the 17th century, but now it’s time to move on LOLOL.