From [url=egoist.blogspot.com/2002_11_01_egoist_archive.html#85680562]Martin Lindeskog's Swedish blog EGO[/url][shock]

Why work?  The welfare state there must be blissful, and you certainly ain't making much money if you do put in your day's work.

This is no suprise to me. I keep trying to tell people that even BEFORE GW's tax cut we were the lowest taxed country in the industrialized world.

And yet people still bitch.

Yep, and I'll keep complaining until they stop confiscating my money to spend it on things that they have no legal authority to do. It's not my job to pay for anyone's prescription drugs, hospital visits, education, home loans, college education, or anything else that isn't authorized under the constitution. Silly me for believing in freedom.

Yeah we bitch. Extortion is WRONG. Why wouldn't we bitch? If you are so all fucking fired to give up part of your pay to fill some other guy's pockets, knock yourself out, just don't force me at gunpoint to be as "charitable".

US taxes are far too high for the benefits we actually receive. At my last job, a coworker who worked for our parent company in France stated they pay 45% total in taxes. I was thinking, hell, that's insane, until I figured here, people in his income range pay 28%-31% federal tax, social security, state income tax (for us at least), disability, etc. It came out over 45% and for that we don't get crap.

He gets a minimum of 4 weeks vacation a year, something like 15 national holidays, free health care, and the best of all, if he got laid off, they have to pay 3 years severance. And that's the law. It's not at the discretion of the employer. In reality, the 3 years severance thing is to entice French companies not to lay off people in France. So, when it was time to cut, they made the cuts in the US where we only get one month severance.

My point is we may not pay as much federal income tax, but when you look at the whole, it turns out we do pay close to what Europeans pay and receive far less benefits for it.

Socialism is alive and well in the US and it is expanding.

Good point, mattja.  Before accepting the politicians' comments about how low our taxes are in comparison to others - conveniently leaving out a few things - look at the total picture.  You might wish to add in the Social Security tax, too, as that is part of the general tax in other countries.  Then adjust for benefits received.  We are taxed quite substantially.  But, as Will Rogers said, "Be glad we don't get as much government as we pay for."  Though some Demos are trying to change that.

If I remember correctly, the gov't of Sweden gives it's citizens like 1 or 2 weeks paid vacation just because they pay really high taxes. Can anyone else confirm this?

good post mattja.  just curious, where did you get your figures? not because i think theyre frivolous. on the contrary, i believe you hit that fuckin nail right on the head.