We had this utterly unrealistic expectation that Danish society could basically be just as good, if the welfare state ran on half the budget. But now that I’ve lived in the US for 15 years, I’ve gotten front-row tickets to that show. And it’s horror.
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What abstract discussions about lower taxes amongst business students in a place like Denmark never factors in is the psychological price. It’s depressing to constantly watch the human suffering in a place like the US. You either live with a bleeding heart or become a sociopath.
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The personal mental benefit of being a well-to-do member of a basically functioning society where people aren’t forced to beg in public for medical care, slave in servitude for decades to pay for education, or rot behind bars in the world’s biggest prison population is immense.
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As in, it’s literally worth paying for! Even for purely selfish reasons of preserving your own humanity. To decrease the cognitive dissonance of thinking of yourself as a good person while living in and sustaining a sick society.
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The same thing goes for personal vs public transportion. I used to lament the high Danish taxes on cars, while taking a functioning grid of trains, buses, and subways for granted. Then I moved to the US, got my first car, and ohhh... maybe this isn’t better.
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But perhaps my personal anguish is so loud because I know - not just intellectually/statistically, but EMOTIONALLY - that the horror show that is American society for so many doesn’t need to be! That a country materially richer than Denmark has the potential to be so much better.
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The ultimate irony is that between Federal and California income taxes, I actually pay virtually the same in the US as I would in Denmark. 50.3% in the US vs 55.8% in Denmark. But I’m the dummy taking income vs capital gains
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There are many implications on what you saying. Here, in Brazil, we pay as much taxes as in Germany, for example. Now, search for the situation of our hospitals and education system - and compare to those in Germany.
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GDP per capital in Germany is almost four times higher than Brazil! So of course you’re not going to have the same level of service at the same rates. But clearly it would only get worse if you had less money to fund healthcare with
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What do you think about the German system,
@dhh ? Taxes are lower than in northern countries - and also lower than many southern countries. And there’s still many social services, help, etc. It’s not perfect, but so far the best compromise. (Note, I lived in USA, PT, UK, DE). -
Germany takes in 44.5% of GDP in taxes. Virtually the same as in Denmark. The US takes in about half. That’s the difference. Germany and Denmark are very close, the US is not close at all.
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Čini se da učitavanje traje već neko vrijeme.
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