• bitwolf@sh.itjust.works
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    8 hours ago

    Americans are also obsessed with the notion their taxes would benefit anyone but themselves.

    I don’t understand why no one can grasp the concept. If your taxes benefit you, and the homeless guy on the corner, that means you’re getting more value from your taxes.

    • tobebannedbygaymods@lemmy.zip
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      49 seconds ago

      Considering the rising National debt due to the insane “Proclaimed Defence” cost and the US Aid ti israel and starting wars on its behalf

      I think they are right!

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      It’s a cultural thing that’s hard to even push back against. Like, I want people to be helped, I want nobody to have to go hungry or have to live on the streets or go broke from medical bills, regardless of how they live, and I know that taxes are the most effective way to do that, but still I find myself instinctively framing it as “taxes are the cheapest way for me to ensure I don’t have to deal with a homeless person begging outside my apartment”

      Also I think the idea that we’re each personally entitled to approve of everything the government spends tax money on is a long game from the right to combat things like pushes for universal health care, government assistance of reproductive healthcare (I first saw this about abortion), and really any form of the government actually helping people instead of demanding charity make up the difference

    • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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      5 minutes ago

      I argued at length with an American who used to hang out in my friend group for a while. He couldn’t stand the idea that his taxes would pay for anything other than his own problems. He called it “giving free handouts”.

      He’d repeatedly use arguments like “but if my taxes pay for healthcare, I’d be wasting my money on morbidly obese people who created their own problems”.

      He also loved status and exclusivity.

      • Allero@lemmy.today
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        1 hour ago

        …and he also fails to note how miserable his life would be if not for taxes from others.

        • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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          2 minutes ago

          The guy is really well off. Works a desk job pushing finance papers for the American military. He believes his well paid job secures him from relying on anything at all.

  • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
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    8 hours ago

    america is obsessed with taxes of other countries yet they dont like paying taxes in thier own countries, probably projecting and living vacariously through what high taxes can benefit people.

  • mechoman444@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    Thank the Lord in heaven, in Jesus name and the holy Trinity there were two red boxes to show me what to read.

    I’d like to thank my parents, my wife, and most importantly my coach. Without them I would be unable to find the red boxes.

  • catsarebadpeople@sh.itjust.works
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    12 hours ago

    US tax rate is only like 5% less too. We wouldn’t even have to pay higher taxes to get most of what other countries get. We’re just dumb fucks who see all our money going to the military and can’t even be bothered to vote once every 4 years. It’s pathetic

  • anon_8675309@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    Don’t mention the fact that 40% of premiums go to shareholders and admin fees

    But…. Jackasses will tell you, I don’t have kids, why should I pay for education and daycare? Etc. etc.

  • thefluffiest@feddit.nl
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    17 hours ago

    we ARE socialists AND we’re better at accounting

    Fixed some typos

    Socialism is just smart: organizing expensive stuff at really large scale, without greedy shareholders, just makes it more effective.

    All it takes is an efficiently organized government and a voting system that works for the people, not the elites

  • vorpuni@tarte.nuage-libre.fr
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    17 hours ago

    I also live in a country with very high tax and I’d need to make more than 120k USD per year to have the same standard of living if I lived in the USA. It’s impossible to make that much driving trains and also working 40 hours a week in the US as far as I know. Lower tier blue collar work is even worse.

    Low tax is for billionaires.

    • jaykrown@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      Yeah exactly, we don’t pay our workers a living wage in the USA, it’s very well documented at this point. It’s a pay problem.

  • Stupidmanager@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    I did the math in the USA. When I was married with kids my effective rate for a the highest year was 52%. My last year as a single male and all kids over 26, it was 46%. Effective, not marginal, because that matters in the USA as we don’t track those “other salary deductions” for taxes. Effective for those ready to argue include stupid shit like deductibles, copays, uncovered care, out of network care (that happens more than you think with kids). one year we spent 40k (max. In network deductible) because one of my kids had a spiral fracture of his leg on a growth section that had he not endured 3 (THREE) surgeries, he would be left side shorter. That was 190k for all surgeries and 40k out of pocket. Dental, HSA, FSA, Vision, Medical… People need to realize that even though its pre tax, you’re still paying for it and that needs to be considered for effective rate.

    I was offered a job in Denmark, so I know this for fact: Denmark was a near match at marginal rate to USA effective rate assuming I never needed critical care in the USA (i would be in debt). BUT, Denmark has effective tax rates in the 40% for those making less than 85k (USD). I think there’s a rich person tax above that at 49%, but I never accepted the job because my Ex wife was a shithead so I didn’t find out.

    I’m now in spain paying around 47% effective, but get Beckhams law will make that be 24% at tax time for the next 10 years. After that I need to pay like everyone else and at 10 years I get a pension (small one) for spain.

    So yes, Americans pay more. Waaaaay more.

    • sexy_peach@feddit.org
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      7 hours ago

      Also wages might be higher in well paying jobs that people on Lemmy seem to have, but plenty of people in the US are dirt poor even with jobs. In Europe that happens as well but I feel like they often have more stability though tenant and worker rights and things like that. So at least you won’t be fired on the spot from your lousy job or have to renegotiate rent every few months.

      • djdarren@piefed.social
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        6 hours ago

        Yeah, here in the UK if you’ve worked somewhere for longer than three months then your employer has to have good cause to let you go. Thanks to the Tories, we don’t get full employee rights until two years, so if, after two years we’re made redundant, we can claim redundancy pay. But in the meantime, if you feel you’ve been treated unfairly you can claim unfair dismissal. You might have some success at getting some lost earnings, but you’ll have to represent yourself because there’s no hope of getting legal aid for that. However, the tribunals who hear the cases often tend to lean towards the employee. Or at least, that was the case when I went through it some years ago.

        And if you are let go, then you can immediately claim unemployment benefits, which really aren’t great, but they do come with the added benefit of free prescriptions.

    • ranzispa@mander.xyz
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      8 hours ago

      190k is a very large amount, I’m not sure if by 40k out of pocket you mean the insurance covered the rest.

      Still, 40k is a lot of money and 190k is pretty much my salary for the next 10 years. I’m sure jobs are a bit better paid in the US; but I’m also quite convinced it is not that common to have that amount of money laying around.

      An expense like that falling on you can definitely ruin your life.

    • DiarrheaSommelier@lemmy.ca
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      7 hours ago

      The USA has an incredibly stupid populace very much on purpose. The billionaires that own them have spent the last 40 years killing education because stupid people are so much easier to control. You get a better education at a European high school than most USA colleges.

        • Sualtam@lemmus.org
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          2 hours ago

          It’s already the false assumption that universal healthcare is a luxury you have to afford, while it is much cheaper than for-profit -healthcare. Leaving more ressources available for the military.

    • anon_8675309@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      Israel has healthcare paid with taxes. And our taxes fund 12-15% of their military.

      Dems should introduce the same healthcare plan and if anyone votes against it call them antisemitic.