The poverty line in the US is ludicrously low when basic health insurance costs $300-400 a month for the not-fucking-your-life plan, birth control isn't covered, and a gallon of milk costs $5.
In Austria, a person doesn't even pay taxes until they earn over 1200 euros a month. Until the whole silly Greek affair, that was the equivalent of $21,000 USD for an individual.
And... they still get retirement, maternity leave, unemployment insurance, free childcare, and great health care.
Not to mention, despite a 20% sales tax, raw food ingredients in Austria cost less than the equivalent I paid in Maryland 2 years ago when I left.
Additionally: Healthcare in the US is a hidden tax.
Yet more, how many people do you know who receive social benefits in the US? I have known quite a few, most notably a woman who was deeply involved in an abusive church and marriage and had 10 children with her husband before realizing she was in a very bad situation. Her family and his family disowned her, and what did the government do? Denied her food stamps. A woman who hadn't worked since she was 18, had no college, and 10 children!
So yes, I think paying 50% to Austria is actually cheaper than paying 40%+ to Uncle Sam, while also having to pay $600/mo for COBRA because I was denied by private insurance, and still hoemmorhaging money when I hurt myself. US taxes? Really not that low.
Except, as I said, for the very rich, and the large corporations, and people who can afford/have the balls to maintain genuine tax shelters.
Average, sure. But the federal tax poverty line doesn't vary by state, does it?
When I was leaving MD, after I'd emptied my cabinets of everything, a friend got sick and I wanted to make him cookies. The ingredients for cookies from scratch - a pound of sugar, flour, butter, baking soda, baking powder, 6 eggs, milk, chocolate chips and 1 pack of jell-o vanilla instant pudding mix and one 20 oz bottle of Diet Coke cost me $57.81. At SAFEWAY. Not Whole Foods, Graul's or any fancy store. SAFEWAY.
I still have the receipt, pinned up as a reminder.
In Austria, a person doesn't even pay taxes until they earn over 1200 euros a month. Until the whole silly Greek affair, that was the equivalent of $21,000 USD for an individual.
And... they still get retirement, maternity leave, unemployment insurance, free childcare, and great health care.
Not to mention, despite a 20% sales tax, raw food ingredients in Austria cost less than the equivalent I paid in Maryland 2 years ago when I left.
Additionally: Healthcare in the US is a hidden tax.
Yet more, how many people do you know who receive social benefits in the US? I have known quite a few, most notably a woman who was deeply involved in an abusive church and marriage and had 10 children with her husband before realizing she was in a very bad situation. Her family and his family disowned her, and what did the government do? Denied her food stamps. A woman who hadn't worked since she was 18, had no college, and 10 children!
So yes, I think paying 50% to Austria is actually cheaper than paying 40%+ to Uncle Sam, while also having to pay $600/mo for COBRA because I was denied by private insurance, and still hoemmorhaging money when I hurt myself. US taxes? Really not that low.
Except, as I said, for the very rich, and the large corporations, and people who can afford/have the balls to maintain genuine tax shelters.