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> And don’t get me started on the price of a beer in a bar. Make sure they pay you a lot. Also, check out taxes. I was offered a contract position in Sweden re
by badpun 8y ago
> And don’t get me started on the price of a beer in a bar. Make sure they pay you a lot.
Also, check out taxes. I was offered a contract position in Sweden recently, and the total tax burden was around 55%. Thanks, but no thanks.
- theredbox 8y agoSweden’s too egalitarian society with a lot of people not being economically active. You are subsidizing unwilling and lazy with insane taxes and you get nothing in return because of equality. You are probably well off compared to them but still cant afford an apartment.
- Moru 8y agoThis path of discussion is always fun to watch when it comes up. Does it work better in America with the lazy people, are they working better just because they make less money? Most people in Sweden can actually live on one job even if it is as a cleaner. The people that you call lazy is a very small percentage of the population. And just about all of them has some physical or psycical problem preventing them from getting a job. It is not a choice they have to either go work or starve. Noone chooses to starve just because it's fun. This mentality is very upsetting for us that has seen reality and does not live in a glass house.
- badpun 8y agoNordic countries are maybe the best place on earth if you’re not gifted in any way (academically, dexterity for manual labor etc.) and thus you work as a cleaner or other unskilled labor. For software engineers, on the other hand, there are better options.
- vasilipupkin 8y agoNonsense as Sweden has more per capita billionaires than US and more unicorn startups per capita than most US cities
- theredbox 8y agoTalk about arbitrary numbers you used.
- vasilipupkin 8y agoThese directly refute the claim that Sweden is only a good place for people who lack talent
- badpun 8y agoMost billionaires inherit their wealth? As for startups, it would be better to see the success ratio (how many people tried to create a startup vs how many succeed) and not just the number of survivors.
- vasilipupkin 8y agoWe are discussing the claim that talented people can’t succeed in Sweden. Yet, higher per capita number of unicorns in Sweden than in many other places, including US, shows that this claim is false
- badpun 8y ago> We are discussing the claim that talented people can’t succeed in Sweden. Who made this claim? Certainly not me. I claimed that, for an ordinary software engineer (i.e. not a startup founder), life will be better/easier in many other European countries.
- booboolayla 8y ago> higher per capita number of unicorns in Sweden than in many other places, including US You can only come to that conclusion by diluting what a "unicorn" means.
- badpun 8y agoStatistics about billionairies or unicorn startup owners are not related to the way a middle class workers (say, software engineers) live.
- beefield 8y ago> Sweden’s too egalitarian society Any examples of societies that are unequal[1] enough for you? [1] Not sure about a proper antonym here.
- hoebaggins 8y ago"It's cool to pay taxes" - Mona Sahlin, former leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.
- SiempreViernes 8y agoA better tagline than "strong and steady" at least
- theredbox 8y agoIt is not cool to be at the mercy of the government and their ability to run the state. They already failed with housing and healthcare. While the healthcare is free and accessible it is slow, bureacratic and costs you more at the end of the day than you would be willing to pay with your own money.
- myspy 8y agoAnd what is better? Healthcare costs a fortune as seen in the US and the system is failing, when you are a humanitarian and think equality to all humans is important. Same with housing. Rich fools conquering large towns and driving everyone else out. Does that benefit society? Of course when you support a system that everyone is his own best friend, you'll be happier when all the money you earn goes to you.
- robin_reala 8y agoAt the moment Swedes have less government that most other countries.
- geomark 8y agoBut the Swedes are fine with it, as is the author of the post, because they feel they get their money's worth. The author went into quite a bit of detail about he doesn't have to save much for his childrens' education and some other major expenses since most will be covered by tax-payers. Assuming of course that the government is fiscally prudent for the many years until your kids start higher education and you are elderly and need a lot of medical care. Given how popular it is around the world to run huge deficits that end up requiring major cuts to services I wouldn't bet my future on it.
- badpun 8y agoThe state-provided services are similar in Poland - most notably: free healthcare, free education up to university, state pension, disability insurance, some help in case the of financial hardship. Meanwhile, the total income tax burden is around 35% or 20% if you’re self-employed. There’s also plenty of other options, like the UK.
- badpun 8y agoCan the downvoter explain his/her decision? What is wrong with my post?
- queuq 8y agoWe are not fine with it. It's a bit off topic, but all I can see online about Sweden always sounds so perfect. But in reality it's not. There's a lot of us Swedes that are long from fine paying these taxes and then see our friends/relatives waiting for half a year waiting for treatment for cancer. And if you'd like private healthcare, Sweden taxes you extra for that. New car? Triple tax first 3 years.
- geomark 8y agoI was wondering if there are dissenting opinions. What percentage of Swedes do you estimate feel the way you do?
- 8y ago