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  • Rob Zazuetarobz@toot.robzazueta.com
    Oct 25, 2026, 5:22 PM

    The other intellectually dishonest argument has to do with taxes.

    "Europeans pay as much as 50% of their income to taxes," I hear both from Americans and Europeans who complain about their system.

    If those taxes are paying for "free" healthcare, education, worker protections, housing, infrastructure, etc., that's an ***AMAZING*** bargain.

    Yeah, it's harder to acquire wealth there.

    Another way of saying it: It's more difficult to become a money hoarder.

    Money hoarders are perverts.

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  • firebreathingduckfirebreathingduck@vivaldi.net
    Oct 25, 2026, 6:15 PM

    @robz

    I'm extraordinarily fortunate and have a six figure USD income.

    My federal, state, and local taxes (including FICA taxes and property taxes) take 32% of my income. My annual family health insurance premiums and copays hit 18% of my income last year.

    I didn't fudge the numbers. If you consider that in most other countries my healthcare costs would be taxes, I am *already* paying 50%.

    And my kids are borrowing unholy fortunes to pay for college.

    And even with my income, I am not saving enough to be able to retire.

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