If Sweden and Germany Became US States...

[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

Comments

[aphar.livejournal.com]

You are proposing double-counting those benefits: they have already been added to the incomes of the Swedes.

Your "obviously" is unfounded. The burden of proof is on you.

[geneus.livejournal.com]

Anybody who has been in Germany and in poor US states can see the difference with his or her own eyes.

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..