4 ms·

Well, currently the government punishes companies that hire employees-- all sorts of payroll, worker's comp, and unemployment taxes, and also workplace legal li

Well, currently the government punishes companies that hire employees-- all sorts of payroll, worker's comp, and unemployment taxes, and also workplace legal liability that is extreme in the U.S. To the degree there is already a lot of central planning in U.S. labor markets, the government actively works against employment.

prostoalex 15y ago
In Denmark, they tax fatty foods to discourage them. In the States, we tax payroll.
- tomjen3 15y ago
  Thats a nice saying and I hate to ruin it but believe me most people in Denmark knows that the tax on fatty foods is just an excuse to bring in more money to the government. I mean are you really going to buy less meat because it went up 5%?
  - seagreen 15y ago
    You might not, and I might not, but some people will. Like a lot of things in modern society it's all about the margins. The effects of such a small increase aren't flashy or obvious, but they're still real.
- lupatus 15y ago
  A vice tax on fatty foods makes no sense if (1) you are trying to improve the health of the populace, and (2) you know about the health benefits of ketogenic diets[1]. If those are Denmark's goals, then they should instead be taxing sugary foods. Otherwise, I am forced to conclude that Denmark is either (a) dumb, or (b) purposefully decreasing their citizens' health. [1]http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/
  - forza 15y ago
    "In July 2010, Denmark imposed a tax on sugary junk food." http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/10/02/denmark-fat-tax.html?cmp=rss http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/10/02/denmark-fat-t...
    - lupatus 15y ago
      Awesome!! And, seriously, why the downvotes on the grandparent comment? On a ketogenic diet, I've lost 40 lbs of fat in 18 months, and my wife has lost ~100 lbs during the same time period. Eating fat doesn't make you fat.
Tsagadai 15y ago
The US is an incredibly easy country to start a company in. Low tax (yes, even if the media doesn't believe it), easy bankruptcy laws (you don't go to jail for defaulting on debts and you can start again), low corruption, low barriers to entry, government support in many industries, very weak labour laws in most states, plenty of capital floating about, etc. If you think the US is a difficult country to start a business in, you need some perspective. Relatively, it is one of the easiest countries in the world and the easiest large country (over 50 million people) for investment.

prostoalex 15y ago

In Denmark, they tax fatty foods to discourage them. In the States, we tax payroll.

tomjen3 15y ago
Thats a nice saying and I hate to ruin it but believe me most people in Denmark knows that the tax on fatty foods is just an excuse to bring in more money to the government. I mean are you really going to buy less meat because it went up 5%?
- seagreen 15y ago
  You might not, and I might not, but some people will. Like a lot of things in modern society it's all about the margins. The effects of such a small increase aren't flashy or obvious, but they're still real.
lupatus 15y ago
A vice tax on fatty foods makes no sense if (1) you are trying to improve the health of the populace, and (2) you know about the health benefits of ketogenic diets[1]. If those are Denmark's goals, then they should instead be taxing sugary foods. Otherwise, I am forced to conclude that Denmark is either (a) dumb, or (b) purposefully decreasing their citizens' health. [1]http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/
- forza 15y ago
  "In July 2010, Denmark imposed a tax on sugary junk food." http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/10/02/denmark-fat-tax.html?cmp=rss http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/10/02/denmark-fat-t...
  - lupatus 15y ago
    Awesome!! And, seriously, why the downvotes on the grandparent comment? On a ketogenic diet, I've lost 40 lbs of fat in 18 months, and my wife has lost ~100 lbs during the same time period. Eating fat doesn't make you fat.

Tsagadai 15y ago

The US is an incredibly easy country to start a company in. Low tax (yes, even if the media doesn't believe it), easy bankruptcy laws (you don't go to jail for defaulting on debts and you can start again), low corruption, low barriers to entry, government support in many industries, very weak labour laws in most states, plenty of capital floating about, etc. If you think the US is a difficult country to start a business in, you need some perspective. Relatively, it is one of the easiest countries in the world and the easiest large country (over 50 million people) for investment.