Americans spend a lot of money on a lot of stuff not just health care, but also defense, higher education, justice...etc.
http://static.globalissues.org/i/mil...ution-2008.png
World military expenditure in 2008 is estimated to have reached $1.464 trillion in current dollars.
The USA with its massive spending budget, is the principal determinant of the current world trend, and its military expenditure now accounts for just under half of the world total, at 41.5% of the world total.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/19/mos...19college.html
According to data from The Chronicle of Higher Education, which tracks college costs, the 10 most expensive schools in the country, led by George Washington University in Washington, D.C., averaged a tuition rise of 52% from 1999 to 2006--nearly triple the 21% rise in the U.S. cost of living during the same period. George Washington's $37,820 tuition is 82% of the entire median annual family income of $46,326.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/54/...mail_H8XP.html
The Forbes 400 Richest Americans 2009
Name: Joseph Jamail
Net Worth: $1,500 million
Source: Lawsuits