If Sweden and Germany Became US States...
Mar. 15th, 2016 09:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ymarkov... They Would be Among the Poorest States
The battle over the assumed success of European socialism continues. Many European countries like Sweden have gained a reputation as being very wealthy in spite of their highly regulated and taxed economies. From there, many assume that the rest of Europe is more or less similar, even if slightly poorer. But if we look more closely at the data, a very different picture emerges, and we find that the median household in the US is better off (income-wise) than the median household in all but three European countries.
https://mises.org/blog/if-sweden-and-germany-became-us-states-they-would-be-among-poorest-states
The battle over the assumed success of European socialism continues. Many European countries like Sweden have gained a reputation as being very wealthy in spite of their highly regulated and taxed economies. From there, many assume that the rest of Europe is more or less similar, even if slightly poorer. But if we look more closely at the data, a very different picture emerges, and we find that the median household in the US is better off (income-wise) than the median household in all but three European countries.
https://mises.org/blog/if-sweden-and-germany-became-us-states-they-would-be-among-poorest-states
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no subject
Date: 2016-03-15 01:45 pm (UTC)If you deduct from the income of US dweller the cost of medical and dental expenses, the cost of college education for children etc. I afraid they would be much poorer.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-15 03:38 pm (UTC)They don't list college education explicitly but it is obviously counts as a social benefit, so, unless you have evidence to the contrary, we can assume that it is included.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-15 04:07 pm (UTC)>but it is obviously counts as a social benefit
And, obviously, undercounted.
My point: for real comparison you should DEDUCT all this exorbitant prices that US citizens pay for "social benefits" and insurances from their income (all that Europeans got for free) - and you will see Americans are impoverished.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-15 04:11 pm (UTC)Your "obviously" is unfounded. The burden of proof is on you.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-15 04:19 pm (UTC)Also I have many friends and relatives in Germany who sometimes wrote me on their budget topics.
It is enormous sum they are saving in comparison to what I am paying (especially for children from day care to college graduation).
Taking in account that in California with its high state and municipal taxes I am paying practically the same combine tax rate as people in Germany, I would say "American high income" is a phantom..
all that Europeans got for free
Date: 2016-03-15 08:41 pm (UTC)Re: all that Europeans got for free
Date: 2016-03-16 02:39 am (UTC)Re: all that Europeans got for free
Date: 2016-03-16 01:04 pm (UTC)