Quote from: LastBattle on July 04, 2011, 07:43:45 AM

Again you feel the need to post irrelevant graphs. Sigh. Allow me:

-That first graph is indicating revenue, not tax rates, which are much different (how income tax brackets work, for example, modifies things without changing the actual rates)

-Come to think of it, did you even read the article? Your second graph is utterly unrelated to the article's main points.

-Nope. You didn't read the article and are instead shooting off wild guesses as to its contents and attacking strawmen. Damn shame, too, since you will never stop talking bull about Sweden if you refuse to bother reading what you are critiquing.

Sweden has low official unemployment for the same reason as Japan: government subsidized window sitters who are paid to make unemployment statistics look prettier. In Sweden, this is augmented by many workers getting hired and then spending most of their "career" on sick leave. I don't think you would classify Japan as being a "stellar example to follow" economically, either.

Revenue includes tax. So the first graph shows the percentage of GDP that is collected by the government. Of-course most of it is tax, but not all.

And "window-sitters" is this coming from the same biased article that you use as the pillar of your beliefs? Look at the graphs, or are they just fake because they do not fit your perspective of the world?

Nonetheless even if Japan has Window sitters, what difference does it make? The Japanese aren't complaining as much as the Americans are. It seems as if corporate interests want you to believe that Window sitters are evil so that they can preach their "low-tax/low accountability" agenda.

So I repeat, go find a better article, over a series of posts in different threads you have used that single link to support your beliefs. I have presented information from multiple sources yet you are unable to do the same.

If your position is strong it should not be hard for you to go and find better statistics.

It is clear that Sweden and other Nordic countries with their high taxes and big government are outpacing most industrialized countries.