A lot of this is driven by the inequality that comes from corporate greed and systemic power structures. I've never known a country where greed is condoned the way it is in the US. It's even celebrated by the middle and lower classes who pay for it, such is the extent of the programming.
One of the most flagrant and unchecked power/greed systems is the pharma industry. Prices for prescription medicines in the US are up to 3x that in the rest of the world. Politicians allow it.
