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Speaking of VW, the emissions scandal was "interesting" as well...
Redistribution? There is way too little of that, lots of Germans can't make ends meet without government handouts. Per Aufstockung for instance. Some freelancers have to move abroad because they can't afford to work in their own country anymore. At the same time there are a lot of filthy rich people.
As I have explained, the Diesel scandal was rather started as a pure act of protectionism of the US car industry. Their motto is: If you can harm foreign companies, just do it. Germans and Europeans were stupid enough to copy this behavior and start to fight against their own automotive industry. Its like biting the hand that feeds you. Nobody was actually ever harmed by any diesel emission and VW had to pay billions and billions, while GM safety problems actually killed people and they just paid a couple of millions.
No, there is way too much redistribution and far too less freedom in Germany. Freedom to succeed, freedom to fail. What I pay in taxes and social insurances is insane, compared to the US or other countries. And in exchange I am getting far too little back, in terms of rotten down infrastructure. Why should I pay for any lazy people out there.
If freelancers cannot live from what they are doing, they should probably change the profession.
Most Europeans don't want that social Darwinist crap system you seem to have in mind.
If you think Germany's taxes are too high, go and try Belgium or some Scandinavia countries
Either way, you do get a whole lot for your taxes. For instance, you can send your kids to university without paying tuition.
Most Europeans don't want that social Darwinist crap system you seem to have in mind.
If you think Germany's taxes are too high, go and try Belgium or some Scandinavia countries
Either way, you do get a whole lot for your taxes. For instance, you can send your kids to university without paying tuition.
Oh I am sure that many people within the EUSSR do not want that. That is not surprising.
I do not want other people to pay for my childrens tuition fee, and I do not want to pay for others. Why should people who never attended university pay for those who achieve higher salaries with their university degrees? University is just an investment, you pay tuition and time and in return you get better jobs with higher salary. Whoever can do the math can calculate if its worth for him/her or not.
Oh I am sure that many people within the EUSSR do not want that. That is not surprising.
I do not want other people to pay for my childrens tuition fee, and I do not want to pay for others. Why should people who never attended university pay for those who achieve higher salaries with their university degrees? University is just an investment, you pay tuition and time and in return you get better jobs with higher salary. Whoever can do the math can calculate if its worth for him/her or not.
It also works the other way round, even more so actually since those who earn more pay higher taxes, so they contribute more to the education of lower-class and lower middle-class students.
In Europe it is an investment of society in society, not of individuals in individuals.
Nor is a redistribution system about "getting something back in return".
If you don't like that kind of redistribution, just stay in the US and enjoy its abysmal GINI index and social rifts.
It also works the other way round, even more so actually since those who earn more pay higher taxes, so they contribute more to the education of lower-class and lower middle-class students.
In Europe it is an investment of society in society, not of individuals in individuals.
Nor is a redistribution system about "getting something back in return".
If you don't like that kind of redistribution, just stay in the US and enjoy its abysmal GINI index and social rifts.
Well obviously we have different ideas of how a system should work, but I do not like the attitude of "if you don't like how its done here, just go away". We should actively contribute to turn the things according to our idea and not give up and move away. At least we should try... I can still give up after some more years after recognizing that the socialists DNA is too deep into people ^^
Oh I am sure that many people within the EUSSR do not want that. That is not surprising.
I do not want other people to pay for my childrens tuition fee, and I do not want to pay for others. Why should people who never attended university pay for those who achieve higher salaries with their university degrees? University is just an investment, you pay tuition and time and in return you get better jobs with higher salary. Whoever can do the math can calculate if its worth for him/her or not.
That's what graduated taxes are for. You know, like they used to have in the US; the lowest earners didn't even pay tax, except for sales tax, and maybe property tax, if they owned property. But not income tax. The highest earners paid the highest tax. And that meant in the US, back in the good old days, there was upward mobility for people who otherwise would have no hope. At the time, the US was considered one of the most egalitarian societies in existence.
And that was a good thing; it created stability. Compared to, for example, the Depression years, when the Socialist and Communist parties gained a lot of desperate recruits. That's what happens when you have huge socio-economic disparities in society, you know. Your (and others') fixation on opting out of contributing to a stable, thriving economy is threatening to bring about the very conditions you deplore. Not very bright.
Back in the day, people understood that. They only had to look to Latin America to see that having a society where the top small percent of high earners lived behind high walls topped with broken glass, while the vast majority participated in socialist, communist and Maoist parties, organized constant labor strikes and political upheaval, and resorted to crime, wasn't what they wanted for the US.
How times change! Why you, or anyone, would want such a scenario for the US is beyond me. It's traitorous, if you ask me.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 07-19-2017 at 01:17 PM..
Well obviously we have different ideas of how a system should work, but I do not like the attitude of "if you don't like how its done here, just go away". We should actively contribute to turn the things according to our idea and not give up and move away. At least we should try... I can still give up after some more years after recognizing that the socialists DNA is too deep into people ^^
When you use the term socialist in this context, you kind of disqualify yourself...
The definition of socialism is pretty clear, and it is absent from Europe.
Basically you mean social rather than socialist. But what could be wrong about social? The term social is actually part of Germany's economic system: a 'social market economy'.
And why would you want to change the system that has worked well? You can be successful in Germany and other European countries as well, as locals have shown again and again. Europe has more social mobility than the US these days, so it is up to you what you make of your life.
You are not missing freedom in Europe, but privileges that some Americans enjoy when they are lucky enough to have been born into the right social setting.
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