I completely disagree with you. The FAA puts all pressure on the checkride, not academics, like many countries. Academics do not, and never will, make better pilots. Because flying in the US is much cheaper than flying in any other places, it is much easier to become well versed at a fraction of the cost. Since flying in many places is so expensive, all pressure is put on a written test. America just made a fatal flaw with the new ATP standard that reduces flight hours based on academics. That philosophy gets people killed. There are no such things as overflight and landing fees in the US, and fees discourage and prevent training at or above standard. I have flown with people trained across the globe, and the strongest have been pilots trained in the US and Russia. Many places offer superior flight training, and it has nothing to do with government regulation. Regulations, along with pilot unions, inhibit growth and expansion inside aviation.