I love Europe, and the USA currently seem rather hostile to liberally minded people. (By liberal I don't mean left-wing, I mean progressive, the basic definition.)
But one thing pisses me off... well two things:
1: Taxes are twice as high here.
2: Prices on everything are about 50% higher on average.
Even the most successful people in Europe live only in moderate comfort, whereas a merely average lawyer or whatever in the USA earns filthy money, pays half the tax, and pays much less for what he buys.
What is this about? How does it happen?
I am suspecting the reason is that Europe is so much more socialistic than the USA. Supporting all the big non-productive population has to be paid for somehow, and taxes in various shapes pervade everything and drives up cost of living for everybody.
Socialism seems to be the price for civilization and empathy in a population. I hope we get over it some day.
10 comments:
Eolake, I agree 100%. As to why Europe is, generally speaking, so much more expensive is without a doubt due to sosialism. But I have to point out two EU countries which are quite different:
1. Estonia has a flat tax rate of about 20% and significantly lower living costs. (Lithuania and Latvia are following Estonia's example.)
2. Ireland is not only a great place to live with regards to earnings vs. costs, but artists are exempt from income tax altogether! The country is a paradise for U2 and Enya. And this is why Michael Jackson is currently shopping for a home there.
Interesting, thanks.
Maybe I'll look at Ireland if I ever want to live off my art alone.
The sage wrote: "It seems to me that people always want the benefits of a government ... but never want to pay for it."
Benefits of government? What are those? Is that a name of some rock band or what?
Seriously, you might find Harry Browne's book Why Government Doesn't Work an enlightening read.
"As stated earlier in this very blog, the people rule themselves with an iron fist. Quite ironic that most are unaware of this simple and obvious fact."
In order to preserve my ego, I have ruled out as obvious anything I did not see for most of my life... and this one I only saw when I was twice your age. :)
In counterpart for taxes, you have many social benefits. I think it's not on taxes that Europe should try to cut down, but on public money waste (I know, talk about stating the obvious). Without waste and corruption, either taxes would go down, or life quality would go up. Or both.
Alas, who will fight waste and corruption? The politicians? Guess what : we've tried that here in Lebanon. National debt went from 30 to $40 billion...
"Promises only bind those who believe them."
I think it holds. I am just trying to make people not think "left wing" when I say "liberal", because it really means:
lib·er·al (lĭb'ər-əl, lĭb'rəl)
adj.
Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
The world can't run without ANY laws at all. Because then, the same, age-old law spontaneously applies : the "law of the jungle". Strong eats weak, and powerful enslaves the others. Even if you only have 1% of people with enough rotten human nature to act that way (the way of the gangs in Mad Max), it's quite enough to ruin everything for the rest. And I don't think anybody will claim that as many as 99% of people are decent. (Considering the voting base of extremist parties, it's more around 5-10%.)
Look at the example of Iraq : we were told that nothing was worse than the law of Saddam. Well, today the actual law in that country amounts to nothing... and it definitely IS worse than the Saddam regime. Ironic, hunh?
"The purpose of a Government is to get itself re-elected."
I would only like to know why it seems that so many people haven't assimilated this yet. It's like stating that the air is transparent : you only have to look at it!!!
I'm very curious about Ireland : is a fiction writer considered an artist? Does anybody know about that detail? Surely they don't define artists as "only" painters and sculptors.
(Phew! I stopped just before mentioning con artists. Then nobody would have taken my question seriously.)
Pascal, yes, a writer is an artist in Ireland.
You can't earn *too* much though.
Google:
artists ireland tax-free
I already liked Ireland a lot, between the country's beauty, the celtic tradition, the beautiful colleens and all. I think I might step it up to pure love. ;-)
After all, in the nineties I bought two Lord of the Dance music CDs on bargain, not knowing they were already famous, and *loved* that irish music. Some of it is very reminiscent of gypsy or "Country" style, too... Many cow-boys were of Irish origin.
Aye, some of my past lives must've been around that area in ye old times, ah'll reckon'.
Besides, from what I hear, Ireland has a very successful economic and employment policy. Seems like a very well managed country. (Thanks to the leprechauns, maybe?) Scandinavian countries seem pretty well off too. I think Norway has officially the highest quality of life in the world. "Old Europe" is far from washed-out, apparently. :-)
P.S.: Okay, I confess, I'm a European at heart. But the USA are a great place too. If only they didn't seem to be going backwards these days... :-(
Norway may be even richer than Denmark, because they did better with their oil. The Danish goverment practically gave it away, the fuckers.
But the Danes are "the people in the world suffering the least", according to a study.
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