Quote:
Originally Posted by W///
Wow, what an interesting thread. I knew Europe was getting more stringent, but I had no idea the curve was that steep. 50k Euro taxes is something I'd expect more in Scandinavian countries. And to think that just a few years ago, it was fractionally less.
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Europe is all about limiting your freedoms.
The US despite all its shortcomings still allows you to have some freedom.
In the US, a middle class family can afford to do things they want to do even if those things are out of the norm.
If you like horses, you can sacrifice where you live and how large your home is in order to afford one.
If you like cars, you can decide to get an expensive one and live in a trailer park.
If you like the track, you can elect to buy your clothes at Walmart and eat Ramen noodles every day to fund your hobby.
If you want to have a wood workshop in your little garage you can do it.
In Europe, DaddyandMommy-state has already made the decision for you. You are allowed a cookie cutter existence and if you want to do anything special you'd better be a friggin millionaire.
Edit: freedom also comes at a cost, so it's not all positive for the US. Still, the best civilized country to live in.