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I am American and moved to Norway. If you didn't know, Norway is known for high taxes and a quite extensive welfare system. I lived in Indiana. In neither place

I am American and moved to Norway. If you didn't know, Norway is known for high taxes and a quite extensive welfare system. I lived in Indiana. In neither place have I had a good-paying job. But hands down, Norway is cheaper. Taxes include healthcare and my tax rate has been just slightly higher than it was total in the states, and many times lower than taxes + health coverage + deductibe + out of pocket. There are lots of hidden consumption taxes: VAT is 25% on most things, 15% on food, but there is none on books and newspapers. A TV lisence is a thing. On the other hand, they try to make sure poor folks have internet and phone service. I do think the top tax rate is about half of one's income, which is fine with me if I'm making more money. I'm fine with VAT and things like that. The thing folks also forget is that some things are actually cheaper when centralized and spread out and coordinated. This works really well in health care because you can do cost evaluation on costs of covering a home nurse a few times a day vs a nursing home. Americans also forget that one of the missing bits in American society is trust in the government. Folks here don't believe the government is perfect, but most of the bureaucratic bits just work, and lots of them are online and easily accessible.

luckylion 8y ago
I'm not arguing that a welfare state is a bad idea, I'm just saying that you won't get it for what you'd currently pay in the US. I believe that many people don't actually know what it would entail - for example that you'll typically land in a federal income tax bracket about double the rate compared to the US for a similar income if you're in Germany. If it works out for you to live cheaper in Norway, that's great, but Norway has a very special position due to the vast oil wealth, that's not typical for Western Europe. Also, I'd love for HN to stop flagging just because they disagree politically. It's so annoying to get timed out because of a civil exchange of arguments and opinions. Always look for light in the dark: this community has convinced me that direct democracy isn't a solution for moderation - it means giving the power to censor to those who are most willing to use it.

luckylion 8y ago

I'm not arguing that a welfare state is a bad idea, I'm just saying that you won't get it for what you'd currently pay in the US. I believe that many people don't actually know what it would entail - for example that you'll typically land in a federal income tax bracket about double the rate compared to the US for a similar income if you're in Germany. If it works out for you to live cheaper in Norway, that's great, but Norway has a very special position due to the vast oil wealth, that's not typical for Western Europe. Also, I'd love for HN to stop flagging just because they disagree politically. It's so annoying to get timed out because of a civil exchange of arguments and opinions. Always look for light in the dark: this community has convinced me that direct democracy isn't a solution for moderation - it means giving the power to censor to those who are most willing to use it.