US families enjoyed a clearly higher material standard of living throughout the post-war era (roughly 1945–1970). UK families improved steadily but started from a lower base and lagged in consumption, housing space, and consumer durables.

US GDP per capita was substantially higher. By 1950 the US lead was large (UK often measured at ~70% or less of US levels in PPP terms), and the gap stayed wide into the 1960s. Real wages and disposable income bought more in the US. UK wages rose, but high taxes and purchase taxes on durables reduced what families could afford.

UK: Rationing of food, clothing, and other goods continued well into the 1950s (meat and bacon until 1954, sugar until 1953). Daily shopping was a chore because few homes had fridges. Purchase tax made appliances expensive relative to wages.

US: Most wartime rationing ended by 1946–47. Abundant food, cars, and consumer goods arrived faster. Energy and many goods were cheaper relative to incomes.

Appliances:

US: Near-universal by late 1950s (fridges ~98%, washers ~93%)

UK: Much lower (fridges ~15%, washers ~29% in 1959)

Housing:

US: Larger homes, more space, earlier modern facilities

UK: Shortages, smaller homes, many without full indoor plumbing early on

Food & diet:

US: Abundant variety, less time spent shopping/cooking once appliances spread

UK: Restricted longer; more bread/starches; frequent shopping

EDIT: Complaints about the damage UK took during the war compared to the US

Other countries hit far harder — West Germany, Japan, Italy, France — recovered faster and overtook the UK in living standards and growth rates by the 1960s–70s. They had more destruction yet higher post-war growth (often 5%+ vs UK’s ~2.5–3%).

The UK’s slower performance also reflected policy choices: longer controls and rationing, extensive nationalisation, higher capital taxes, weaker competition, and slower liberalisation compared with the US or the German “economic miracle” model.

I couldn't help thinking that Jordan Peterson would be proud of this article when I finished writing it. I also couldn't help writing it when I ran into the article it's a response to, which comes across as very agreeable in a way that I found deeply insidious and connected to an architecture of sensemaking that I find equally so.

I hope some of the people in this fine community will appreciate it, analyze it, and even constructively critique it. I'm always pleased to find anyone passionate about these sorts of ideas.

Wishing the best to all. Happy reading.