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UK Living Standards Outstrip US
gnomexxx
Member Posts: 2,920
Gee, I wonder what the cause of this could be??? 
And it seems we've got a long road even further down this hill with our current round of "Presidential" candidates. Keep it up GOP and DNC. You're both out to destroy this country together, so I'm sure you can't fail. 
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January 6, 2008
UK living standards outstrip US
Living standards outstrip those across the Atlantic for first time in over a century
LIVING standards in Britain are set to rise above those in America for the first time since the 19th century, according to a report by the respected Oxford Economics consultancy.
The calculations suggest that, measured by gross domestic product per capita, Britain can now hold its head up high in the economic stakes after more than a century of playing second fiddle to the Americans.
It says that GDP per head in Britain will be £23,500 this year, compared with £23,250 in America, reflecting not only the strength of the pound against the dollar but also the UK economy’s record run of growth and rising incomes going back to the early 1990s.
In those days, according to Oxford Economics, Britain’s GDP per capita was 34% below that in America, 33% less than in Germany and 26% lower than in France. Now, not only have average incomes crept above those in America but they are more than 8% above France (£21,700) and Germany (£21,665).
“The past 15 years have seen a dramatic change in the UK’s economic performance and its position in the world economy,” said Adrian Cooper, managing director of Oxford Economics. “No longer are we the ‘sick man of Europe’. Indeed, our calculations suggest that UK living standards are now a match for those of the US.”
Although many people will be surprised by the figures, Americans have long complained that average incomes have been stagnant in their country. One often-quoted statistical comparison suggests that in real terms the median male full-time salary in America is no higher now than it was in the 1970s.
Oxford Economics says that while the comparisons are affected by sterling’s high value against the dollar, they also reflect longer-term factors. “The UK has been catching up steadily with living standards in the US since 2001 ? so, it is a well established trend rather than simply the result of currency fluctuations,” its report says.
It concedes, however, that a significant fall in the pound against other currencies would push Britain back down the ladder. It has assumed an exchange rate of just over $2 for the purpose of the calculation but in recent days the pound has slipped below that level.
The Oxford analysts also point out that Americans benefit from lower prices than those in Britain. With an adjustment made for this “purchasing power parity”, the average American has more spending power than his UK counterpart and pays lower taxes. (In the run-up to Christmas many Britons travelled to New York and other American cities to take advantage of the strength of sterling against the dollar and those lower prices.)
However, the British typically have significantly longer holidays than Americans as well as access to “free” healthcare.
The figures may be of small comfort to Britons worried about house prices and facing a severe squeeze on their incomes this year as a result of record petrol prices and rising energy bills.
Citigroup, which was the most accurate forecaster of Britain’s economy last year, predicts the slowest rise in consumer spending this year since 1992.
“After the credit-fuelled boom in domestic demand and asset prices, the UK economy now faces a hangover, with slowing credit growth, falling property prices and tightening lending standards,” said Michael Saunders, its UK economist.
Last week oil prices hit $100 a barrel, presaging a rise in petrol and diesel prices on the fore-courts. Npower, Britain’s fourth biggest energy supplier, announced that energy prices would go up sharply, raising the prospect of the average household bill rising above £1,000 for the first time.
America overtook Britain economically in the final years of the 19th century, during the so-called second industrial revolution, which brought mass manufacture and sharply rising prosperity to the United States.
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Comments
ahhh how I'd like to actually get longer holidays and free healthcare... oh well...
Have you ever been to the V.A. Hospital. That's the government's form of free health care. And that's the way they treat veteran's. Imagine how they would treat civilian folks like you.
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Healthcare is not "Free" weather the Government is handing it out or you are plying for it.
Have you ever been to the V.A. Hospital. That's the government's form of free health care. And that's the way they treat veteran's. Imagine how they would treat civilian folks like you.
My wife's mom works at a VA Hospital, oh the stories...
"There's no star system Slave I can't reach, and there's no planet I can't find. There's nowhere in the Galaxy for you to run. Might as well give up now."
Boba Fett
Healthcare is not "Free" weather the Government is handing it out or you are plying for it.
No, it's not free. GB taxes are high. You have to pay for the NHS some how. Sometimes other agencies suffer because of how dear the NHS is... but... health care is available to people with full time jobs, part time jobs or no jobs at all. It's even available to people visiting the UK. You can even find NHS dentists! It's terrible that in a country that has been as "rich" as the US, there are so many people who have to question whether or not they can afford to be helped when they're sick. It's really not something you should have to wonder about.
As for other sorts of things... necessities and luxuries alike... I've lived in both countries (in the US, atm and I'm from here originally) and found the UK, even years ago, to be superiour in a lot of things. Internet speed, satellite tv, online grocery shopping (I hate Hate HATE going food shopping). I'm not a mall person so the fact that there wasn't a huge indoor shopping mall on every corner doesn't bother me. To be perfectly honest, I don't find the difference in amenities between the two countries to be worth bothering about.
It's very nice, however, if you get to live in the US but are paid in Sterling. At least at this point in time.
Try living in the UK....
I could buy a Mansion in America for the same price it costs for a 3 bed ****hole here and when i'm in London a 1 bed flat costs more than a big house with a garden over there. Also everythings taxed so we're paying like 100% more in the end it's like i bought £200 for £10 abroad but here it woulda cost me £50.
I'm sick of living in the UK i can barely afford my mortgage and bills let alone anything else so i'm moving over to Canada for awhile where i can get 10 acres for only £130k.
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.
Healthcare is not "Free" weather the Government is handing it out or you are plying for it.
No, it's not free. GB taxes are high. You have to pay for the NHS some how. Sometimes other agencies suffer because of how dear the NHS is... but... health care is available to people with full time jobs, part time jobs or no jobs at all. It's even available to people visiting the UK. You can even find NHS dentists! It's terrible that in a country that has been as "rich" as the US, there are so many people who have to question whether or not they can afford to be helped when they're sick. It's really not something you should have to wonder about.
As for other sorts of things... necessities and luxuries alike... I've lived in both countries (in the US, atm and I'm from here originally) and found the UK, even years ago, to be superiour in a lot of things. Internet speed, satellite tv, online grocery shopping (I hate Hate HATE going food shopping). I'm not a mall person so the fact that there wasn't a huge indoor shopping mall on every corner doesn't bother me. To be perfectly honest, I don't find the difference in amenities between the two countries to be worth bothering about.
It's very nice, however, if you get to live in the US but are paid in Sterling. At least at this point in time.
The thing about the free healthcare is it is free unless you have a job then you have to pay taxes on your wage. I mean when i was out of a job i went to the job centre and they gave me money while i was searching for a job and the dentist and NHS was free so that was great.... however once you get a job your expected to have part of your wage taken away which doesn't sound like alot but over the years it builds up. I'd rather that though than a big sum of money in one go you can't afford
Atleast if your dying here in England you'll be treated for free and not expected to pay a thing. So good things come out of the taxes like your helping other people live their lives too who can't afford to.
It's soo much cheaper and better than super markets.
Also i hate big super markets and big shopping malls because it takes the persoanlity out of everything and your sold bland horrible mass produced food. I enjoy walking down camden each day and buying myself nice fresh food you'll find from all over the world cause it's very multi cultured down there. Also i love going to the stalls and buying nice hot food there from all different styles
shame though cause tesco want to ruin all that.
Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Sounds like it is better to not have a job.
You keep saying these things are free. Someone is paying for them I think.
Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Sounds like it is better to not have a job.
You keep saying these things are free. Someone is paying for them I think.
Yea the Taxpayers i.e. those with jobs. Its still a good system tho.
"Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god."
-- Jean Rostand
If we can get rid of the inflation tax then the standard of live will improve alot. The inflation tax hits the middle and low income familys the hardest.
UK's pop 60,776,238 (July 2007 est.)
USA's pop 301,139,947 (July 2007 est.)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Thats just the home page for that info.
The US has a much broader range of income with over 4 times the population. The fact that the US's stuff is still high even with the much larger population is amazing.
Hold on Snow Leopard, imma let you finish, but Windows had one of the best operating systems of all time.
If the Powerball lottery was like Lotro, nobody would win for 2 years, and then everyone in Nebraska would win on the same day.
And then Nebraska would get nerfed.-pinkwood lotro fourms
AMD 4800 2.4ghz-3GB RAM 533mhz-EVGA 9500GT 512mb-320gb HD
I agree with you. BUT, this is a measure that has been in place for a while and is probably one of the first to show that our standard of living is decreasing. Yeah, you can always make excuses, but the better thing is to realize that we're losing what we used to have here. We've taken things for granted so long and they are one by one being taken away from us without us doing something about it.In other words, how come this has changed? And what are we going to do about it before it gets worse?
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Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Right, right.All of those doctors, teachers, dentists, drivers, and workers are just benevolently donating their time.
Nothing is free.
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Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Sounds like it is better to not have a job.
You keep saying these things are free. Someone is paying for them I think.
Yea the Taxpayers i.e. those with jobs. Its still a good system tho.
No. A government forcefully taking wages from my labor away from me is not a good system "tho".
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Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Sounds like it is better to not have a job.
You keep saying these things are free. Someone is paying for them I think.
Yea the Taxpayers i.e. those with jobs. Its still a good system tho.
No. A government forcefully taking wages from my labor away from me is not a good system "tho".
TBH though what would you rather a goverment that doesn't help anyone and where the rich can become richer and the poor suffer? Atleast paying our taxes keeps the country sweet and if you ever have a injury you know you'll be in safe hands unless you catch MRSA lol.
That's the most important part of the entire article. There's more to standard of living than % of GDP. Even the author of the article attempts to write this off by saying "free" healthcare and longer vacations makes up for it. I'm sorry but it doesn't.Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
Sounds like it is better to not have a job.
You keep saying these things are free. Someone is paying for them I think.
Yea the Taxpayers i.e. those with jobs. Its still a good system tho.
No. A government forcefully taking wages from my labor away from me is not a good system "tho".
TBH though what would you rather a goverment that doesn't help anyone and where the rich can become richer and the poor suffer? Atleast paying our taxes keeps the country sweet and if you ever have a injury you know you'll be in safe hands unless you catch MRSA lol.
TBH, I think I know what's best for my money. I don't think that the government EVER knows better what to do with my money than I do. And paying taxes does not keep the country sweet. It gives a single entity the power to forcefully acquire my money so that it can waste it and use it for things that I don't always agree with.
I don't care about being in the "safe hands" of the government either. I don't consider the government to be safe hands. If you think they're such safe and caring hands, then quit paying your taxes and see how cared for and safe you feel. It's just another way for the government to make people dependent upon it. First thing a President learns when he gets into office is there are a whole lotta people out there waiting Uncle Sam to mail them a check. That is immoral for our government to function as an authoritative wealth redistribution machine. It's causes dependency and breaks the will of the people. Both the rich and the poor.
And if you're so worried about the poor, then why not consider giving your money to a charity that is efficient at helping the poor? I bet you could decided better where that money would do best rather than the federal government could. And at least if you find out that the charity you gave your money to is screwing up, you actually have the option to seek out a better charity.
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Trends change.
The Old Timers Guild
Laid back, not so serious, no drama.
All about the fun!
www.oldtimersguild.com
An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!
-P.J. O'Rourke
The Old Timers Guild
Laid back, not so serious, no drama.
All about the fun!
www.oldtimersguild.com
An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett
I'm glad I live in Canada where the living conditions have (to my knowledge) been higher than both the US and the UK for quite a long time. I remember multiple times we've been voted internationally as the best country in the world to live in.
Yes we have "free" healthcare, but as other people say, nothing is free. We do pay alot of taxes. 6-14% on everything you purchase (depending on where you live). You also pay a good portion on income tax, anywhere from 10-45% (last I checked) depending on how much you make. However, I'm quite happy to give a portion of my salary to the government in exchange for free healthcare, police, fire, and emergency services, etc.
The way I look at it is you pay a little bit each year so that if something happens (my father getting cancer for example) you are covered and don't get stuck with a bill. I'd rather pay a couple thousand dollars a year for 30 years than pay nothing and get hit with a $500,000 bill when something does happen.
Imho, people who don't wan't to pay taxes should not get the benefit of police or fire services, trash pickup, military defense, road safety or anything like that. I'm sure people would be singing a different tune if the cops checked your tax records before they investigated your car being stolen or your house being robbed.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
Well it's not just free healthcare...
- College is free
- Schools are free
- Transport is free if you have no job
- Healthcare
- Dentists
- Benefits (goverment gives you money if your disabled or dont have a job)
- places to live for the homeless
etc etc.
Lots of stuff really.
You act like the US doesn't have most of these things:
-College scholarships are plenty if you do well in High School.
-School is "free"
-Just about everywhere but the most rural of areas have some form of public transport.
-Healthcare is very easy to get: GET A JOB. My cousin is getting Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of treatment for cancer and his mom is a cafeteria worker
-Dental insurance is cheap as crap, and again, GET A JOB
-It's called Disability and Unemployment. If you get fired for certain reasons, you get $$$, but you have to prove you are looking for work.
-Lots of shelters around in the cities.
It's not like the police are actually able to protect you in your home anyway. They show up after the fact. I got no problem protecting myself. If a person decides to break into my home, then they are going to be getting a huge surprise once that barrier is breached. And if someone stole my car, then I can hire a private investigator to get it back for me. I think it's horrible that some people actually believe the police can protect them in their home. Those are the people who end up victimized or dead when an intruder decides to go after them. I think everyone should have a gun in their home for protection! And I'm all for concealed handguns as well. Even in places like schools and such.
As far as fire protection... I wouldn't mind paying a private firm to take care of that either. It would certainly be more efficient.
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Jeebus, this is where I am SO GLAD I am an American. That statement doesn't mean that I bash Canadians or Brits or anyone else for that matter. I just thank God everyday knowing that my JOB pays for my Healthcare (to a certain degree) and that a very large portion of my paycheck goes to me, myself, and I and at the end of the year, not only do I get ALL of my taxes back but I actually get more back than I paid out.
I make 53K a year and when its all said I done, I get 53K a year PLUS medical plus retirement, plus a 401K, plus a vacation (4 weeks a year), plus various bonuses throughout the year.
A good friend of mine just came from Canada. He told me about the waiting lines and the horrible service you get.
I asked him "Surely, it cant be that bad."
He responded, "Do you know the building that you get your driver's license and they take your photo? The department of Motor Vehicles?"
"Yes, I responded. Horrible service, long lines, rude employees."
Then he said, "Well, imagine that but those employees are Doctors and Nurses." That blew me away.
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.