Taxes around the world

[August]

Originally Posted by Fish

Come over and see for yourself.

I've been there 4 times in my life, once for a three year stay. Europe is nice enough but it always seemed so fragile to me. Like it was ready at any moment to explode into war and destuction like it has so many times in the past.

I haven't ever regretted going but I was always darn glad to get back to the States.

[KG_Jag]

Originally Posted by Fish

Come over and see for yourself.

I have been--including the Netherlands (enjoyed your naval museum) and hope to again.

It ain't bad, but it sure ain't Texas.

[Biggles]

As we swedes say:

Borta bra, men hemma bäst.

Unless you hate your home, you're bound to prefer it, no matter where you go. I've been to the U.S a great number of times (lost the count really), last time was in January this year. I've also been to England, Thailand, Greece, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, and Jamaica. I for one have no real desire to move outside Sweden. I can see it happen, but it certainly isn't a goal I strive for.

[August]

Originally Posted by Biggles

As we swedes say:

Borta bra, men hemma bäst.

Unless you hate your home, you're bound to prefer it, no matter where you go. I've been to the U.S a great number of times (lost the count really), last time was in January this year. I've also been to England, Thailand, Greece, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, and Jamaica. I for one have no real desire to move outside Sweden. I can see it happen, but it certainly isn't a goal I strive for.

And that's the way it should be imo.

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by August

And that's the way it should be imo.

Indeed, I guess we can agree on that. It's never fun when someone feels they have to leave their home, rather than having the choice to do so.

[August]

Originally Posted by Biggles

Indeed, I guess we can agree on that. It's never fun when someone feels they have to leave their home, rather than having the choice to do so.

Can you imagine a world where every country was the same? How utterly boring that would be.

[Onkel Neal]

I've been keeping up with this topic but I do not see what this has to do with Texas Around the World.

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I've been keeping up with this topic but I do not see what this has to do with Texas Around the World.

hoho, made me chuckle, good on you sir!

But as you said August, the world would indeed be very boring if every place were like the other. Fortunately, this is not the case, I know from my own experience Also good is that we live on a planet that is rather large, and there's bound to be a place suitable for everyone. I'm lucky enough to live at a place more than suitable for me. Then ofcourse, your opinions and views of life will often be altered by your surroundings. Maybe I'm best suited to live in Sweden (a traditionally socialistic country) simply because I was born there

[nikimcbee]

Part of the US average might be misleading. If this is an income tax graph, its averaging in states like WY and TX (zero income tax) to counter states like NY an, MA, and CA. It would be interesting to break the US by state, THEN redo the graph with the individual US states in there.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I've been keeping up with this topic but I do not see what this has to do with Texas Around the World.

...and then show economic output~growth vs tax rate.


At that point I yell: "Get to the choppa" Nice avatar Neal.

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by August

Thanks Kapitan.

For the record i'm not philosophically opposed to nationalized health care, I just know that it's not going to be run efficiently, it will be riddled with abuse, it will end up costing us more than private health care, and it is a spectacularly bad time economically to be trying to implement it.

Just like the military. And it doesn't cost as much.
Maybe just maybe the US should spend a little less on military affairs and invest a little bit more on its citizens. And no, downgrading your military will not bring about the end of the world.
You know why you won the cold war don't you ? Not because of military supremacy but because your adversary went backrupt. And if you continue spending like there is no tomorrow the US will experience the same fate as the old USSR.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by goldorak

Just like the military. And it doesn't cost as much.
Maybe just maybe the US should spend a little less on military affairs and invest a little bit more on its citizens. And no, downgrading your military will not bring about the end of the world.
You know why you won the cold war don't you ? Not because of military supremacy but because your adversary went backrupt.

They already do, the social securty/ medicare budget is larger than the military budget.

[KG_Jag]

Originally Posted by goldorak

Just like the military. And it doesn't cost as much.
Maybe just maybe the US should spend a little less on military affairs and invest a little bit more on its citizens. And no, downgrading your military will not bring about the end of the world.
You know why you won the cold war don't you ? Not because of military supremacy but because your adversary went bankrupt. And if you continue spending like there is no tomorrow the US will experience the same fate as the old USSR.

The U.S. has traditionally believed that each of its citizens could and should take care of him/her self, family and community with little or no involvement of the federal government. We are a very charitable lot and have local, county and state levels of government which are much closer to the people.

When I was growing up in the 60's and 70's there was great deal of discussion and concerning about our large military budget. But honest concern about that issue has wained, along with the size of the military budget relative to our GNP and current spending allocations. Transfer payments to our own citizens now dominate the budget and threaten to bankrupt us over time--not military spending.

So what if we or the democracies of Europe are attacked by foreign enemies of whatever stripe or flavor on anywhere near the scale that we saw just 70 and less years ago? How many European countries could afford to defend themselves? Is the number great than 0? I worry about our own ability to do so as well--given our current vector of becoming a national nanny state.