Get What You Pay For
Barry Ritholtz is talking about international taxes. He puts up this comparison chart:
Barry concludes that our taxes, relatively speaking aren't that bad. And I would agree. But I'd take it step further. There's a reason why our country is literally falling apart, and it has to do with the mentality sold by conservatives that we can have it all without paying for it, aka a "free lunch". The rest of the world knows better. I'd much rather have a society like the top 10 in this list, than the bottom 10.
2 comments:
To have a fair comparison you would have to fold in the cost to U.S. citizens of our health care and higher education, just two of the items we have to pay for (and pay BIG) that are covered by government services in Europe. It's these hidden costs (like paying for Wal-Mart employees health care through public funding) that give lie to the official stats.
I also wonder if those countries with higher tax burdens are running in deficit, or if they keep the books in the black...
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