2. Quality of live is definitly higher in some parts of europe. There are public statistics for that
[1] https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.j...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report
[3] http://www.businessinsider.com/happiest-countries-best-quali...
There is really no reason to argue that, more money does not mean more quality of life. Especially its very different if you look below to the IT bubble.
I went to the US last summer and found most people in awe when I told them I was there for the whole month, and it was not even my first vacation that year.
The misunderstanding here, is that some believe 100k$ equals better life no matter what. In France the fact that most people have a decent life makes mine better as well.
Also, I'd like to point out that universal, guaranteed, un-gameable health insurance is VERY different from any insurance you could ever buy from a company.
I never even thought about the fact that something could go wrong to me and I would not have access to the best possible care for any reason whatsoever until I found out about Americans and I remember thinking that was really savage. Then I realized my luck.
To me, the problem is not in the concept, it's about tax evasion.
I am based in Switzerland so my health care money also goes to private companies. But these are heavily regulated.
However i can only agree with that statement. I always went to a private clinic because it was near my home and had less people there. It was not special or anything, it was just convenient.
Whatever happens i knew i get help and if i get a bill it some bullshit small costs i can easily pay anyway. The highest bill i ever got was $500 but only because i wanted a lot of random blood tests that no reasonable health care would cover.