Take a look at cancer survival rates. They are higher in the USA than in Europe and the USA is much higher than the UK. Plus compare apples to apples when you compare populations. It breaks down like this: Asian's have the highest live expectancy, next white, then latino, then black (statistics). If you control for the much higher black and latino population in the USA our life expectancy exceeds all European countries. Why did I bring those countries up? To point out the very bad problems caused by government. Want a more modern example, how is Greece doing? By the way do I think Branson was trolling for a hand out? Yes. Why? Due to the recent spate of handouts dolled out by many nations, as a business man he made a very good business decision to try to get a handout. If the people do not like it the best recourse is to vote out of office anyone who voted for a handout for a private corporation. Would Branson have allowed his airline to fly without the government restriction? Probably not, the costs are just to high. Engine overhaul, repainting the aircraft, new windshields, new passenger windows, possible damage to the APU, damage to lights, damage to antennas, loss of revenue due to aircraft out of service, and on and on.

British NHS problems: (just a few of them) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1033832/The-Dirty-Secret-Your-NHS.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5955840/Patients-forced-to-live-in-agony-after-NHS-refuses-to-pay-for-painkilling-injections.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6092658/Cruel-and-neglectful-care-of-one-million-NHS-patients-exposed.html Spain under Franco, Italy under Mussolini, Germany under Hitler, Czechoslovakia under Communism, Hungary under Communism, East Germany under Communism, Poland under Communism I could go on and on, yep, trust the government they are looking out for you!!! ((To head this one off at the pass, you have to keep a very critical eye on corporations also))