3 ms·

Please stop conflating taxes to something that is forcibly taken away from you. It is purely just money that is used for things around you. I am not sure where

by Jommi 6y ago

Please stop conflating taxes to something that is forcibly taken away from you. It is purely just money that is used for things around you. I am not sure where this obsession to be come "rich" truly comes from - what are you really searching for in life?

jokethrowaway 6y ago
Sure, it pays for services around me but it's taken against my will. If I stop paying taxes I will end up in jail like Peter Schiff's dad. I could move to Dubai or locations which don't charge taxes, but it's not a tradeoff I'm happy to do. Incidentally, I'm about to buy a property in a country with lower taxes than my current one and invest in their economy instead. The reason I want more money is so I can stop selling my time in order to put food on the table and a roof over my family's heads and start building things I want to build which I doubt they will be profitable.
- bloodorange 6y ago
  Please forgive me if I misunderstand but you are unwilling to let go of the kind of system/society you are in: "it's not a tradeoff I'm happy to do." However, that very society/system has made a tradeoff that they will maintain a certain level of taxation which would allow them to maintain a certain level of services. This does not seem realistic.
  - jokethrowaway 6y ago
    No worries at all, I appreciate the conversation! I think I expressed myself unclearly, the tradeoff I'm unwilling to make is not because I miss services paid with taxes but because there are many dimensions to evaluate a country. From my point of view, I already pay a private health insurance on top of my public one because the public one is just unreliable - and that's the main benefit my taxes afford me. Someone who can't afford it, will probably grade countries differently. And there are so many factors to consider: culture, english speaking schools availability, weather, detached houses availability, real estate prices, if your spouse likes the country, anything that could be important for you. I lived in Dubai and I'm not a fan of how they deal with personal freedom (eg. LGBT rights, alcohol / drug consumption, sex outside of marriage) even if I like how they deal with economic freedom. Also racism towards American / European expats from natives is pretty vicious (albeit not as bad as towards expats from poorer countries). Some people are indeed happy to live in Dubai - personally I found that there are several countries which offer a better tradeoff for me, low taxes and a good quality of life (whatever your definition is).

by Jommi 6y ago

jokethrowaway 6y ago

Sure, it pays for services around me but it's taken against my will. If I stop paying taxes I will end up in jail like Peter Schiff's dad. I could move to Dubai or locations which don't charge taxes, but it's not a tradeoff I'm happy to do. Incidentally, I'm about to buy a property in a country with lower taxes than my current one and invest in their economy instead. The reason I want more money is so I can stop selling my time in order to put food on the table and a roof over my family's heads and start building things I want to build which I doubt they will be profitable.

bloodorange 6y ago
Please forgive me if I misunderstand but you are unwilling to let go of the kind of system/society you are in: "it's not a tradeoff I'm happy to do." However, that very society/system has made a tradeoff that they will maintain a certain level of taxation which would allow them to maintain a certain level of services. This does not seem realistic.
- jokethrowaway 6y ago
  No worries at all, I appreciate the conversation! I think I expressed myself unclearly, the tradeoff I'm unwilling to make is not because I miss services paid with taxes but because there are many dimensions to evaluate a country. From my point of view, I already pay a private health insurance on top of my public one because the public one is just unreliable - and that's the main benefit my taxes afford me. Someone who can't afford it, will probably grade countries differently. And there are so many factors to consider: culture, english speaking schools availability, weather, detached houses availability, real estate prices, if your spouse likes the country, anything that could be important for you. I lived in Dubai and I'm not a fan of how they deal with personal freedom (eg. LGBT rights, alcohol / drug consumption, sex outside of marriage) even if I like how they deal with economic freedom. Also racism towards American / European expats from natives is pretty vicious (albeit not as bad as towards expats from poorer countries). Some people are indeed happy to live in Dubai - personally I found that there are several countries which offer a better tradeoff for me, low taxes and a good quality of life (whatever your definition is).