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U.S.: In state of denial over taxes?

I honestly don't know how they figured their taxes. I doubt they have nearly as many local governments as we do, but it would be interesting to factor that into their figures as well. Maybe someone can find them?

If you want the numbers I used, try governmentspending.com and governmentrevenue.com

It has nothing to do with what they did. Whatever they did, they did it for ALL nations.

Its about what YOU did and how you played with the #s for the US while not doing the same for the other nations.

And of course they have regional and local govts. You should learn what you're talking about before you start talking about it. It makes your arguments look foolish

And those two websites cover the US. You're still trying to apply your calculations to only the US while not doing the same for the other nations. It's called "lying with statistics"

Lying With Statistics
 
I would like the freedom to pay half as much for the same quality of care.
I would like to have the freedom to pay half as much for the same quality car, or house, or whatever. It turns out I already have that freedom, and people have the freedom to charge whatever they want when they're selling a car or providing health care.
 
Theoretically at least, Social Security and Unemployment are paid by citizens. SS was created as a failsafe following the depression. We see what has happened since...rather than being seen as a failsafe it is now viewed by many as their sole source of retirement income. Until recently there hasnt been a serious push for Universal health care. I think the message of the founding fathers was clear...federal involvement only where necessary and social programs for those truly incapable of providing for themselves.

What business is it of yours how people veiw "thier" money? Do you view SS as a social program? is that the message you are trying to send that people like me who paid into SS all of thier working lives should be ashamed to collect SS benefits.
 
Does anyone think that it's bad to have low taxes by OECD standards? If so, maybe they're the ones who are in denial.
Median household income - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rank↓ Country↓ 2007[4]↓
1 Luxembourg 34,407
2 United States 31,111
3 Norway 31,011
4 Iceland 28,166
5 Australia 26,915
6 Switzerland 26,844
7 Canada 25,363
8 United Kingdom 25,168
9 Ireland 24,677
10 Austria 24,114
11 Netherlands 24,024
12 Sweden 22,889
13 Denmark 22,461
14 Belgium 21,532
15 Germany 21,241
16 Finland 20,875
17 New Zealand 20,679
18 France 19,615
19 Japan 19,432
20 South Korea 19,179
21 Slovenia 18,860
22 Spain 18,391
23 Italy 16,866
24 Greece 15,758
25 Israel 14,055
26 Czech Republic 12,596
27 Portugal 12,515
28 Estonia 9,836
29 Poland 9,113
30 Slovak Republic 9,071
31 Hungary 8,531
32 Chile 7,851
33 Turkey 5,940
34 Mexico 4,689
— OECD 19,229
 
Does anyone think that it's bad to have low taxes by OECD standards? If so, maybe they're the ones who are in denial.
Median household income - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rank↓ Country↓ 2007[4]↓
1 Luxembourg 34,407
2 United States 31,111
3 Norway 31,011
4 Iceland 28,166
5 Australia 26,915
6 Switzerland 26,844
7 Canada 25,363
8 United Kingdom 25,168
9 Ireland 24,677
10 Austria 24,114
11 Netherlands 24,024
12 Sweden 22,889
13 Denmark 22,461
14 Belgium 21,532
15 Germany 21,241
16 Finland 20,875
17 New Zealand 20,679
18 France 19,615
19 Japan 19,432
20 South Korea 19,179
21 Slovenia 18,860
22 Spain 18,391
23 Italy 16,866
24 Greece 15,758
25 Israel 14,055
26 Czech Republic 12,596
27 Portugal 12,515
28 Estonia 9,836
29 Poland 9,113
30 Slovak Republic 9,071
31 Hungary 8,531
32 Chile 7,851
33 Turkey 5,940
34 Mexico 4,689
— OECD 19,229

Good or bad is not the issue. The issue is the claim that the US is a high tax nation and that if we raise taxes, businesses will move to other nations where the taxes are lower
 
Does anyone think that it's bad to have low taxes by OECD standards?

It rather depends on what they get for their money, doesn't it? It's sort of like saying, $25,000 is too much to pay for a car, without specifying what the car is.
 
You think that's only an issue with Medicare? What planet are you living on? My wife has had to change doctors constantly as her employer(s) switch to different insurance plans because her current doctor isn't enrolled with this insurer or that.
There's a subdebate going on as to whether or not the cuts to medicare affect medicare patients or just health care providers.
 
It rather depends on what they get for their money, doesn't it? It's sort of like saying, $25,000 is too much to pay for a car, without specifying what the car is.
You lost me. Please paraphrase. Thank you.
 
You lost me. Please paraphrase. Thank you.

You asked
Does anyone think that it's bad to have low taxes by OECD standards?

so you were told "It depends on what they get for their money"

You can't know if they're paying too much without looking at what they get for the money
 
You lost me. Please paraphrase. Thank you.

I thought I was pretty clear, but okay. You are pointing at one side of the equation (taxes) and saying, "isn't that awfule!" But you aren't saying anything about the other side of the equation (services, such as health care, education, infrastructure, retirement, etc.).

So, for example, you could say, "my Lord, I'm paying $20,000/yr. in taxes -- isn't that awful!" But if those taxes go to providing health care, allowing you to do without a $14k/yr. insurance plan, and public transportation, allowing you to do without $6,000 in car payments, and good schools, allowing you to do without a $25k/yr. private school tuition ... it's actually a pretty good deal.
 
I thought I was pretty clear, but okay. You are pointing at one side of the equation (taxes) and saying, "isn't that awfule!" But you aren't saying anything about the other side of the equation (services, such as health care, education, infrastructure, retirement, etc.).

So, for example, you could say, "my Lord, I'm paying $20,000/yr. in taxes -- isn't that awful!" But if those taxes go to providing health care, allowing you to do without a $14k/yr. insurance plan, and public transportation, allowing you to do without $6,000 in car payments, and good schools, allowing you to do without a $25k/yr. private school tuition ... it's actually a pretty good deal.
That sounds like a good reply to the OP, but not my post, unless you think that other countries are enjoying so much more benefits from their taxes that it offsets the huge difference in income.
 
invasion? certainly.

collapse of the world trade system followed by the immediate collapse of the US Economy??? :shrug:

Collapse of the economy due to the drop in aggregate demand caused by reduced defense spending? Or do you mean collapse of the economy due to things like piracy?
 
That sounds like a good reply to the OP, but not my post, unless you think that other countries are enjoying so much more benefits from their taxes that it offsets the huge difference in income.

Yes, I do think they enjoy superior benefits. I think that's pretty clear if you've ever traveled in Europe.
 
That sounds like a good reply to the OP, but not my post, unless you think that other countries are enjoying so much more benefits from their taxes that it offsets the huge difference in income.

Now you'ce changed your argument from "is it good or bad" to "do taxpayers like it".

And your inference that low taxes=higher income is contradicted by our economic situation, where millions have seen their income go to zero
 
Yes, I do think they enjoy superior benefits. I think that's pretty clear if you've ever traveled in Europe.
Is the difference between their tax benefits and ours worth $10k/year? If so, please be specific.
 
You can't know if they're paying too much without looking at what they get for the money

true, and what we're all gonna get for our money---long term---is a whole lot less than we were promised---in social security, medicare coverage, medicaid (for our less fortunate friends and neighbors) and pensions

the big 3 entitlements alone are up against 61.6 trillion dollars of paper promises exacerbated by 5.3T more per year

U.S. funding for future promises lags by trillions - USATODAY.com

if something isn't done now to fundamentally restructure our budgets, then our precious programs will expire

on the tax side---there's not enough revenue in the milky way, like spitting in an ocean

facts

leadership, anyone?
 
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