OK, let's assume that the US government is actually efficient- that begs the question "Why are the other countries spending more per capita than the US?".
Why should one country spend as much as the others? Why would this be a requirement?
Look at all of the ways other countries do better than the US-
- Education- the US used to be at/near the top and now, it's ~number 28.
- Nutrition- too much food is unhealthy and people are addicted to it.
- Health care- you nailed that one and it's not lost on anyone who has had to deal with it. Another problem is the care, itself.
- Mental Health Care- it was gutted and now, it's very slow to improve. It exists, but it's far from adequate
From your arguments, it doesn't seem that you're digging very deeply into the wasteful spending by the US Federal government- Sen WIlliam Proxmire gave 'Golden Fleece Awards' for excessive/wasteful spending, starting in the late-'60s. Go deeper into some of the points I have made- I don't think you'll be as forgiving.
The other G7 countries don't spend more for its own sake. But, they all have universal health care, so that's a factor. There may be more - and more generous - social programs in the other countries. I can't say for sure.
I'm not suggesting that the US government should spend more. Each country can follow its own policies in that regard. But, it's clear that the US government doesn't spend as much per capita as the others G7 countries. The reason its debt and deficit are so high, is because it won't collect nearly enough revenue to pay for that lower spending.
There is waste and inefficiency to be found in all governments' expenditures. It's not just in the US.
Have a read about this boondoggle from my own country.
en.m.wikipedia.org
I'm all for governments being careful with taxpayers' money. But, the idea that waste, inefficiency and corruption are the primary reasons for the US government debt and deficit problem comes from people with agendas to push. They know that nobody will ever find enough waste and inefficiency to eliminate the huge annual deficits. But, they don't want their taxes to go up.
