I haven't been to Europe or the UK in 30 years. I have only second hand data. But the second hand data I have on the UK? Is toe-curling. We've got nursing problems, the UK's got nursing problems. Back in April when the UK had a general nursing strike I remember looking up their hours and going "what a bunch of pussies" because NHS nurses are, like, 2/3rds time compared to typical American shifts. But then I remember looking at their wages and going holy fucking shit because a US nurse makes like double, 2.5x as much as a British nurse. You'll put up with a lot when you're being paid through the nose. When you're being ripped off?

The UK has been unfavorably compared to Poland for a while now. Lately it's being unfavorably compared to the former East Germany. The fundamental approach of Brexit was to stiff-upper-lip it through the challenges which is probably great for the City of London? but the thing is, if you don't take care of your least, your least become your people.

I have gotten the sense that culturally, the British are comfortable with inequality. Culturally, too many Americans feel the same... but it's something we fight about. So much of British culture, at least what gets exported over here, is about knowing and/or finding your place in a hierarchical society. American culture, if anything, is about overturning it.