[dopidopHN]

I suspect you moved to the US? I did that as well, out of love for a human being; not a disdain of the political surrounding.

Boy oh boy, French have it good. They have no idea. Maybe they do have it good because they keep asking for more.

I don’t even find the country specifically dis functional ( compared to the US )

But that just my own personal data point. Also, I live in the buttcrack of the US, maybe it’s not fair. ( and I love that said buttcrack :) ! )

[xwolfi]

I moved to Hong Kong, which has its own issues. Out of love for a human being, for sure, but let s say I didnt convince that sweet other to move to France hehe. She would have if I asked, but as an unemployed english speaking Pakhistani in France, she would have had more trouble than me in a fully employed society like HK.

It's disfunctional if you live in it and pay taxes. For me we waste our taxes if we cant make a balanced budget, it s not even a crazy philosophy: we live beyond our means and borrow from others to calm down the electorate, we re cheating. In Hong Kong my taxes go to a surplus, you wont hear me criticise the gov much, because at least they got their basics right. I pay my 12k USD yearly with a proud smile that I contribute to building something that s coherent if not perfectly democratic. While I paid my 2k euros in France grumbling it s all going to waste anyway. You can also guess the salary increase you have working in a place where unemployment is a meaningless concept, because no welfare.

I dislike the US as much as the next guy and do not see it as a proper model. Let s not even talk of tax surplus there. Germany sounds like they try to do politics the right way but it s not like I know it all that much beyond their results.

[dopidopHN]

I pay roughly the same proportion of my income here than in France: a big month of salary. ( just a wildly different salary … )

In France I do it happily, we get so much in return. From social redistribution to infrastructure.

Here, oh god, I understand why the average murican hates taxes and government : they get close to nothing in return.

In regards to States balancing their budget. It’s tempting to think that what is good for a individual is good for the state. Let’s just say I subscribe to Keynesian economics, so I’m fine with a state spending.

[ngcc_hk]

I do not think hk is coherent. The tax you paid is not all. Your rent is your tax as well. Anyway people are running from the police state they are building. May be you are ok. Good luck. No luck to hk people though.