I see no point in getting into an argument about the relative merits of UK and US flight support systems. They have different histories, different funding, and very different environments. They will, therefore, be different!
WWW's comment about land costs is very apposite; land costs have a huge effect on the cost of everything in UK - the most overpopulated country in Europe. There is also the larger element of beaurocracy and taxation in UK (and all of Europe, for that matter), combined with a broad-based negative public attitude about general aviation.
Complaining about it is quite natural, but it's unlikely to achieve a lot. You'll have to turn round an official attitude to aviation that's rooted in decades of indifference. Anyone for a job as Minister of Aviation? <img src="wink.gif" border="0">