Of course the new Senator from Massachusetts voted for his own statewide Universal Healthcare.
I'd agree the culture is different, but I think that's why it won't get passed, not why it would fail.
Germany has had it for 200 years, England started 100 years ago and put it into final phases about 50. I imagine there are massive rallies in other countries against their existing healthcare system?
According to the rhetoric, the assumption seems to be every other industrialized nation will collapse and fall into communism.
I'm sure nobody wants to give up 50% of their check dedicated to health care (is that what every other industrialized nation is giving?) - but nobody wants to declare bankruptcy because they get one major illness either.
However the majority of people who declare bankruptcy due so due to illness.
Here is the British Conservative Party Platform on Health:
http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Health.aspx