2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

[The Rube]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

I’d recommend going there and just observing life for a week (if you can avoid the gang rapes by immigrants). I know people quite well who live there, but I don’t think it takes much to make some key observations.
People aren’t saddled by huge debts. It’s amazing how life changes when you aren’t weighed down by that and have good basic services and education. People are also way less stressed.

Point of order: there a ton of people who over-use their credit cards here. Here's a tip: buy what you can afford! (this is separate from the student loans debate).

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Point of order: there a ton of people who over-use their credit cards here. Here's a tip: buy what you can afford! (this is separate from the student loans debate).

Ok, sure, but that’s not the point I made. There are people here who use credit cards for necessary things even if they can’t afford it- child care, meds, school supplies, etc.

[geezer]

Actually, yes.

Dunno if this is a righty or lefty site, I don't care, because of the numbers they are stating:

https://taxfoundation.org/how-scandi...ment-spending/

It’s not a bad way to live, but it’s a different mindset. I have spent a few weeks in sweden and Finland. For example they are bemused by the idea of owning the land that your house is on... what good does it do to claim a little rectangle of land as a possession? And they have a communal attitude to their neighbors well-being, which is obviously a good thing. But different from the competitive individualism we are used to.

[The Rube]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

Ok, sure, but that’s not the point I made. There are people here who use credit cards for necessary things even if they can’t afford it- child care, meds, school supplies, etc.

Those are needs. Not wants. I can appreciate that.

As for geezer: I agree it's a different mindset. Totally. Changing that, here? Best of luck, sir.

[Stauber1]

Actually, yes.

Dunno if this is a righty or lefty site, I don't care, because of the numbers they are stating:

https://taxfoundation.org/how-scandi...ment-spending/

Come on Brent. You're smart enough to take a more sophisticated view than simply looking at % of income taxed in forming your opinion of a country's economic and spending policies on it's citizens.

It doesn't take much effort, but you have to be willing to put at least a little in.

[ScoobyDoo]

Point of order: there a ton of people who over-use their credit cards here. Here's a tip: buy what you can afford! (this is separate from the student loans debate).

Sure. Like Trump. Who gets to declare bankruptcy over and over again with no ill effects. I can't do that. Why?

[The Rube]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

Come on Brent. You're smart enough to take a more sophisticated view than simply looking at % of income taxed in forming your opinion of a country's economic and spending policies on it's citizens.

It doesn't take much effort, but you have to be willing to put at least a little in.

60% 56%? You kidding me? You are paying more than taking in? I don't care how much you make, that's bull*.
Denmark’s top marginal effective income tax rate is 60.4 percent. Sweden’s is 56.4 percent (from the article)

[trixR4kids]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

It used to be 90% in the US and that was probably the most prosperous era in this nation's history ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

60% 56%? You kidding me? You are paying more than taking in? I don't care how much you make, that's bull*.
Denmark’s top marginal effective income tax rate is 60.4 percent. Sweden’s is 56.4 percent (from the article)

Try to imagine not having any education costs, medical costs, little to no childcare costs. It really makes a difference. People aren’t walking around screaming about being robbed by the government. Maybe it’s because they do care about each other and having functional systems vs wanting to screw over everyone you disagree with

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

It used to be 90% in the US and that was probably the most prosperous era in this nation's history ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think the word marginal is being missed by some folks here.

[ScoobyDoo]

I think the word marginal is being missed by some folks here.

Gee. That never happens.

[trixR4kids]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

edit: what he said ^ ^ ^

[The Rube]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

It used to be 90% in the US and that was probably the most prosperous era in this nation's history ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We used to just do things that are not acceptable anymore, either.

[RaceBoarder]

Re: 2020 Democratic Challengers IV: Culling the Herd

I think a key way to achieve the change needed to move to the Scandinavian financial model would be to get rid of the 2nd and 3rd middle men trying to get their cut from you. Example:

You have a medical bill for $X. At $X the hospital/doctor/etc. make their profit. The customer can't pay $X directly. They go to a bank for a loan to cover it. Hospital/Doctor now has their cash and is happy. Now the person has added on the banks profit (loan interest) to $X. They then fall behind on $X payments on the loan. They go to LATE NIGHT TV BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY to settle their debt. Bank gets whatever cash they can out of the settlement and walk away happy. TV ATTORNEY now adds their fee to it.

When all is said and done, the consumer has added 2-3 extra layers of people looking for their cut, and that is where the problem is. That is why we can't manage our debts. A $1000 debt needs $2000 to be fully paid off. It's the same with housing finances, Auto/transportation loans, College Loans, etc. But you have the same mentality with smaller purchases. Every credit card in our wallets and purses works on the same system, it just does it by 500 $20 purchases instead of a single $10,000 one.

That is the problem. We need to eliminate the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th layers to our debts.

[Stauber1]

60% 56%? You kidding me? You are paying more than taking in? I don't care how much you make, that's bull*.
Denmark’s top marginal effective income tax rate is 60.4 percent. Sweden’s is 56.4 percent (from the article)

So you don't have even a basic understanding of how taxation in the modern world works? Really?
Take the 30s to Google marginal tax rate.

Take the time to calculate what you or the average person pays in healthcare costs (including premiums), post-secodary Ed costs, child care costs, etc. and add that to your tax bill. How much higher are the Scandinavian rates now as compared to yours in similar tax brackets?