Originally posted by lazs2
who momus? who pays?
If we can buy goods cheaper than you then what is the problem? I find that england is far more expensive to buy anything than it is here. Your system doesn't do it for me. You seem to have less choice and higher prices.
lazs
At $2 to the pound, of course BRITAIN is expensive. However, your point is taken, its not a cheap place to buy certain things. I'm curious about what you think there is less choice in though? I can't think of anything I can buy here in the US, I couldn't get just as easily back in the UK (other than the assault rifle no home should be without).
I'm also curious about your comment about the BRITISH 'system'. All in all, my experience (having lived in both countries recently) is there is very, very little difference between living in UK and US.
Costs of living - overall - are about the same. Direct taxation is about the same in both countries. Property tax is lower (and fairer) in the UK (compared with California at least). Indirect taxation is higher in the UK (sales tax etc), but that is offset by lower health-care and education costs. Gas, cars and electrical good are generally cheaper in the US, but groceries and utilities are cheaper in the UK. Basically - you win some, you lose some. I'm possible a little bit better off here at the moment, but that would likely reverse if I were to have kids or (heaven forbid), myself or my wife were to get seriously ill.
Government intrusion in daily life (despite the sensationalist claims by certain members on this board to the contrary) is pretty much the same. The US government takes just as many liberties with the rights of its citizens as the UK government does with its.
Back on the original topic, I think the confusion about the TV license stems from comparing the BBC with a commercial TV companies. The BBC is - in fact - a public service broadcaster and is therefore rightly paid for by public funds. Any assumption that that makes it a propaganda mouthpiece for the government would be wrong. In fact, it's charter expressly forbids it from aligning itself with any political movement. What that means is the BBC provides some of the highest quality journalism available anywhere in the world without the need to include editorial comment. American news broadcasting and current affairs programs are virtually Party Political Broadcast by comparison (Bill O'Reilly anyone?).
I like living in the US. I like the weather, I like the attitude of the people. But the realities of day-to-day living is that there is next to no difference between the two countries.
Wooley.
