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So? People who pay more taxes than me, obviously earn more than me. Actually, the more you earn, the easier it gets to pay your contributions. Being a freelancer, I am in one of only 6 fixed brackets, I pay exactly the same amount per month as someone earning twice as much as I do.
Apart from that I never make use of what I am entitled to, the state should be grateful for people like me.
But if they are working harder and are more useful than you, don't they deserve to make more money than you and keep their fair share.
It is not the responsibility of high earners and hard workers to pick up the tab for someone who wants to have more free time.
And just because you don't use your coverage now does not mean that you never will. One major surgery can make up for a lot of years of not using the system.
But if they are working harder and are more useful than you, don't they deserve to make more money than you and keep their fair share.
It is not the responsibility of high earners and hard workers to pick up the tab for someone who wants to have more free time.
And just because you don't use your coverage now does not mean that you never will. One major surgery can make up for a lot of years of not using the system.
We don't have that Anglo-American you got to work hard and become rich thingy over here.
What gives you the idea that someone is doing more useful work than me, just because he earns more or works more hours? Bank employees or stock brokers far exceed me in both aspects, but they are ruining the world with their actions while I am not. You don't know how many Portuguese work, I guess I work more productively in 2 days than many of them in 3 or 4. Statistically, I earn more than the average Portuguese does, despite the fewer hours.
Europe is a free continent, everybody is free to work as much or little as they feel is necessary. Nobody forces anyone to work 40 hours a week. Actually governments are trying to promote part-time work as part-time work is better than no work.
So, the likelihood of my needing major surgery is not greater than that of a millionaire, actually much smaller because I don't drive a car, don't do dangerous sports, eat and drink healthy, don't take any drugs etc.
Apart from that the waiting lists for surgery are so long here that I would have died before the operation anyway We are free over here, we can choose whether we like to have a private add-on insurance that covers such things, or not.
We don't have that Anglo-American you got to work hard and become rich thingy over here.
That's why US = $14.256 trillion GDP AAA credit rating & UK = $2.183 trillion GDP AAA credit rating versus Portugal = $232 billion GDP, credit downgraded, and in crisis.
We don't have that Anglo-American you got to work hard and become rich thingy over here.
What gives you the idea that someone is doing more useful work than me, just because he earns more or works more hours? Bank employees or stock brokers far exceed me in both aspects, but they are ruining the world with their actions while I am not. You don't know how many Portuguese work, I guess I work more productively in 2 days than many of them in 3 or 4. Statistically, I earn more than the average Portuguese does, despite the fewer hours.
Europe is a free continent, everybody is free to work as much or little as they feel is necessary. Nobody forces anyone to work 40 hours a week. Actually governments are trying to promote part-time work as part-time work is better than no work.
So, the likelihood of my needing major surgery is not greater than that of a millionaire, actually much smaller because I don't drive a car, don't do dangerous sports, eat and drink healthy, don't take any drugs etc.
Apart from that the waiting lists for surgery are so long here that I would have died before the operation anyway We are free over here, we can choose whether we like to have a private add-on insurance that covers such things, or not.
It's hardly a free continent if it's people are dependent on the government for sustenance, and others are having to foot the bill for their dependency.
The reality is you people are lazy. You vote for politicians that make sure that you don't have to work too hard, because you think work is bad. What you don't realize is that your lifestyles are not sustainable.
As more people demand handouts from the treasury it is drying up faster faster. Your house of cards will come tumbling down. It will be very difficult for your people to handle, when they realize that they will have to take care of themselves financially and not be able to rely on others to do it for them.
And your surgery may not cost more than a millionaires. The difference is that the millionaire has probably paid enough in taxes to offset the cost of his expenses, whereas you likely did not.
That's why US = $14.256 trillion GDP AAA credit rating & UK = $2.183 trillion GDP AAA credit rating versus Portugal = $232 billion GDP, credit downgraded, and in crisis.
So? There is more to life than GDP. I lived in the UK before, and I hated it.
And your surgery may not cost more than a millionaires. The difference is that the millionaire has probably paid enough in taxes to offset the cost of his expenses, whereas you likely did not.
Millionaires don't use the public system, they pay the lowest social security contributions possible, knowing they don't depend on it, and buy better private insurance instead... And many don't even do that, because they can simply pay cash when an operation comes up, which is not all that often. But that is not my fault, they are entitled to the same public service, despite their not paying as much into the public system as they should according to their income.
It's hardly a free continent if it's people are dependent on the government for sustenance, and others are having to foot the bill for their dependency.
The reality is you people are lazy. You vote for politicians that make sure that you don't have to work too hard, because you think work is bad. What you don't realize is that your lifestyles are not sustainable.
As more people demand handouts from the treasury it is drying up faster faster. Your house of cards will come tumbling down. It will be very difficult for your people to handle, when they realize that they will have to take care of themselves financially and not be able to rely on others to do it for them.
Most people are not dependent on the government, be it over here or in your country. You have a weird image of Europe.
Basically it is not much different from the States. In your country people who can not afford insurance, simply go to a hospital for every little issue, in which case the bill is also paid by the taxpayer. Or patients drag their entire families into poverty who out of compassion do everything to pay for urgent surgeries.
Frankly, I don't think that is any better.
Portugal's only big problem is the EU, which is stifling us with all the rules and laws. I wish we would leave the EU and join some kind of union with Brazil instead. Apart from that people here have no problem living with little resources, it has always been a poor country. That is why despite the crisis people here are in a good mood, unlike in Germany or Britain, where people are complaining a lot. And many people still have huge families which in turn have huge gardens, where they grow most anything. They don't really need a growing economy as such.
Anyway, to get away from Portugal and back to the topic, in my opinion money only serves one purpose, to be spent. It was never meant to be locked away in billions, multiplying in accounts, stock portfolios and so on. Thus in my view there is indeed a limit to what might be considered reasonable income. Someone who is very ambitious can work for fun or pride or whatever. But does anyone deserve more than, say, $250k a year? I don't think so. That is about $100 per hour, insane.
Of course you did not like the UK. Probably could not lounge around all day everyday.
People only work if there is an incentive, not for fun. You have a very naive view of the world. You think that it is all big families and gardens and it's not. And as far as everybody being happy...well "ignorance is bliss". And it's not like we are walking around frowning everyday.
What ever happened to putting in a hard days work and feeling good about the things you accomplished at the end of the day.
Me and you just are not going to come to terms.
You know the saying is "reap what you sow" not "reap what others have sown".
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We are free over here, we can choose whether we like to have a private add-on insurance that covers such things, or not.
