... and that's the real point. Time is precious!
I'm old, retired, love flying, but have had enough of study and exams.
The JAA IR would take a finite proportion of the time left to me. I don't have that sort of patience or dogged determination. I admire Cusco and the rest of the group on the Flyer route - all credit to them. Their performance in what are supposed to be difficult exams has been an eye-opener.
The FAA IR I did in two weeks (including an FAA PPL to stick it onto). The hours and experience from the IMC Rating that I've had for many years all counted. So I can (and do) fly IFR in the USA, and can fly IFR around Europe if I borrow an N-reg aircraft.
If I were 20 years younger, I'd have the JAA IR by now. As it is, I fly VFR around Europe in a G-reg. It seems to work.