America

[Buzz Rules]

I'm not saying you don't have valid points. I just think this isn't the thread for the discussion. Just my opinion.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I agree those seem way sus... the numbers I found are much different...

In Finland, the average single worker faced a net average tax rate of 31.1% in 2022, compared with the OECD average of 24.6%. In other words, in Finland the take-home pay of an average single worker, after tax and benefits, was 68.9% of their gross wage, compared with the OECD average of 75.4%.

https://www.oecd.org/tax/tax-policy/taxing-wages-finland.pdf

Taxes are not a bad thing if you feel like you are getting value on your investment. Education, health care are excellent returns in my opinion for paying taxes

Does Finland have free post secondary tuition?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Does Finland have free post secondary tuition?

If you live in the EU, then yes.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I don't look at the country/world through Democrat or Republican eyes. I look at each issue through non partician eyes. You have every right to your beliefs but I wonder what are your solutions to fix everything that is wrong in our country and how you would get each political party to come together to compromise to gain a workable solution? This is a rhetorical question of course but I think it gets my point across.

 

[jo-jo]

I'm sorry, I can't let this go. $70,622. That's the cost for the knee replacement surgery I had two weeks ago. $60,400 is the charge from the hospital. The rest is surgeon and anesthesiology fees. I haven't seen anything itemized yet (this was from insurance claims that have been processed) so I don't know if this is everything, or if there are more charges to come (medications, xrays, lab testing, etc). I was at the hospital for 11 hours.

It took 3.5 months to get the surgery scheduled, which is nothing; if I'd gone with a different medical group, they were booking a year out. I don't see too much "great" about this. At least I have "great" health insurance, at $350 a month and a $5000 deductible. I guess we have different definitions of the word "great."

You have to pay 70 grand?

 

[White Cat]

Example: If you immigrate to Canada, how long do you have to wait before you can receive healthcare/working papers compared to other countries? If the wait is longer then the USA it could hinder the opportunity of the individual. Not criticizing, just giving an example if Canada doesn't provide as fast as the USA (I don't know who provides faster). Opportunity may be greater in the USA due to the comparison of our economy's size.

Canada wants workers, not dreamers and doers. Those people come to the USA. Lots of red tape and government interference in Canada. I have experience in both places and there is a huge difference between the two. Elon Musk could not do what he has done in Canada.

 

[sam_gordon]

What's a "doer"?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Canada wants workers, not dreamers and doers. Those people come to the USA. Lots of red tape and government interference in Canada. I have experience in both places and there is a huge difference between the two. Elon Musk could not do what he has done in Canada.

He wouldn't have been able to destroy Twitter if he moved to Canada?

 

[White Cat]

What's a "doer"?

You’ve never heard the term dreamer and doer? Or is in another attempt of yours to poke at me because you have something against me. Feel free to look it up if you really don’t know.

 

[White Cat]

He wouldn't have been able to destroy Twitter if he moved to Canada?

Twitter would have been difficult to get under way in Canada. He’s done much more than twitter. But I think you know that.

 

[sam_gordon]

You’ve never heard the term dreamer and doer? Or is in another attempt of yours to poke at me because you have something against me. Feel free to look it up if you really don’t know.

Well, I thought I knew what it meant... the person who DOES things. That makes sense. Where it didn't makes sense was in the context you used it...

Canada wants workers, not dreamers and doers.

Wouldn't a "worker" BE a "doer"? That doesn't make sense so I thought there must be another meaning.

 

[Frwinkley]

At the heart of the matter for me is this: our elected officials no longer represent their constituents. Yes, I vote each and every time. If they did, things would be vastly different. They would abide by what the people want (for example, equal and just treatment for all groups, women’s pregnancy rights, etc). Instead, they have their own agenda. I don’t see how this will ever help us move back to the center.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Personal Income Tax Rates - Trading Economics 2021:​

1. Ivory Coast - 60%
2. Finland - 56.95%
3. Japan - 55.97%
4. Denmark - 55.90%
5. Austria - 55.00%
6. Sweden - 52.90%
7. Aruba - 52.00%
8. Belgium - 50.00% (tie)
9. Israel - 50.00% (tie)
10. Slovenia - 50.00% (tie

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

Top 11 Countries with the Highest Sales Taxes - Trading Economics 2021:​

1. Bhutan - 50%
2. Hungary - 27%
3. Croatia - 25% (tie)
4. Denmark - 25% (tie)
5. Norway - 25% (tie)
6. Sweden - 25% (tie)
7. Finland - 24% (tie)
8. Greece - 24% (tie)
9. Iceland - 23% (tie)
10. Poland - 23% (tie)
11. Portugal - 23% (tie)

 

[gmi3804]

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Personal Income Tax Rates - Trading Economics 2021:​

1. Ivory Coast - 60%
2. Finland - 56.95%
3. Japan - 55.97%
4. Denmark - 55.90%
5. Austria - 55.00%
6. Sweden - 52.90%
7. Aruba - 52.00%
8. Belgium - 50.00% (tie)
9. Israel - 50.00% (tie)
10. Slovenia - 50.00% (tie

According to whom? And at what income level? This list is nebulous.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/highest-taxed-countries

Finland has chosen a high tax and high level of provided social services model. I am sure it is nice to live there, but personally I prefer to keep more of my hard earned money and have more personal responsibility for the services I require. I do respect that other people see it differently though, but I am a libertarian at heart. Give me the rules and a small but efficient government and let me do me, and you can do you.

I have good friends that live in Finland that I knew from my time working abroad. Just like us there are things they love about Finland and things they hate. Just like there are things of both here.

 

[White Cat]

The majority on the US Supreme Court has totally moved from the interests of its constituents. We are NOT in good hands. It's disgraceful.

Lots of people feel the US is in very good hands. Yours is just your opinion. Like any one else.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

You have to pay 70 grand?

Nope she paid her deductible ($5000) and then likely either a percent of the rest, or the rest was fully paid by her Insuror. This would depend on the type of insurance you have of course.

I have seen both systems work in person, and there are plusses and minuses of both. When I lived in Asia very basic healthcare was provided, but it was very very very basic healthcare. Nothing remotely close to an elective surgery would ever be done, nothing cosmetic ever, and waiting list for things like knee replacements were measured in years of waiting. Broken bones were set back in place and allowed to heal, no surgeries for full range of motion of straightness of broken bones were ever performed.

Most of the middle class and up in that country went to private hospitals instead and paid in full for any and all services. The quality of care was quite good in these private hospitals, but they were very upfront about you paying the bill in full the day the service was provided and even prior deposits in some situations.

In America things are expensive, but if you walk in the hospital any hospital with a life threatening illness, you will be treated immediately regardless of if you can pay or not and regardless of sex, race, or citizenship level. The cost to the people who can pay is greatly inflated due to many people not paying for healthcare services.

There are positives and negatives to both systems.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

The majority on the US Supreme Court has totally moved from the interests of its constituents. We are NOT in good hands. It's disgraceful.

Not exactly true. US Supreme Court has moved from the interest of a percentage of its constituents. On some of these matters I would guess it is about 50% for and 50% against, if you polled all citizens.

People forget that the vocal minority on a topic represents a tiny fraction of the total population. The average American is a moderate just barely left or right of the political center in a fly over state, it just doesn't seem like it due to the extreme left and extreme right getting all the press.

 

[Beezle2]

He wouldn't have been able to destroy Twitter if he moved to Canada?

Jim Wright just put up a sweet takedown of that whole debacle.