Having worked in the British research community I know how financial retrenchment is crippling it, and across Europe there are some healthy institutions doing very well but they are relatively few and scattered. IMHO research carried out in the US is not at all better but it is an order of magnitude *bigger* in terms of funding, personal and equipment. Research is a funny business depending on concerted long term effort and the hope of sudden realisations, breakthorughs and original ideas. Cutting the US out of the game cripples research in this area much like cutting one or two legs off a race horse. It may still move forwards but the goal post won't be reached until much later, if at all.