You're right--there's a lot more to it than just "the tax rate". You've got to consider what that tax rate is getting you. It's also reasonable to have high e

You're right--there's a lot more to it than just "the tax rate". You've got to consider what that tax rate is getting you. It's also reasonable to have high earners pay more in taxes than low earners--the high earners arguably benefit much more from the infrastructure in place allowing them to even earn a high income in the first place (eg, rule of law), so it is in their interests (and power) to keep that infrastructure humming. When you're rich, social darwinism seems all good and well until you've got the disenfranchised in front of your castle with torches and you can't call the police because their budgets were cut. That said, I think france is a pretty good example of a place I'd never want to live if I planned on producing anything of value. I don't think it's a coincidence that france is not exactly a hub for startups. Australian and French economic policies are quite different. So regardless, it's not an apples to apples comparison and not all tax spending is created equal. Personally, I think the French have really bad economic policies if they're interested in anything more than stagnation and taxation is partly to blame.