As an American with a mother-in-law in Prague I can verify what you say and the bottom line is the US should really study and learn from our older, wiser big brother, Europe. People like Bernie Sanders get it. Besides the lower cost of living, nearly every EU culture has a great Life/Work balance which reduces overall stress. Importantly, Europeans value aesthetics and art and so their cities and small towns tend to be more beautiful and well-kept. This creates a superior vibe, especially when compared to miles of strip malls and franchise clones that plague the US. The food is better, the produce fresher and tastier and safer to eat.

If Americans knew what was good for them they would insist to "Europeanize" quite a lot more, of course including transportation and healthcare and college! Thanks for writing.