[swiftcoder]

> Alternatively, it is used to pay social benefits for the sole purpose of keeping the current political party in power

This sounds like a 2-party government problem, not a tax problem. Plenty of countries do just fine spending that money to provide healthcare, unemployment, etc to their citizenry. Only really seems to be the US that views this as a negative

[malfist]

Oh we spend that money, just on weapons or handouts to the welfare class known as the ultrawealthy.

[WillPostForFood]

Us does spend the money on healthcare, it is just very inefficient. US government spends much more per capita than any other country. 50% than the #2 country, Germany.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/283221/per-capita-health...

[malfist]

But that's mostly people/companies spending on health care, not as much the government (because that'd be socialism, apparently)

[WillPostForFood]

I'm just talking about government spending. If you add private spending it is even more unbalanced. Just per capita government spending alone:

US $12k

Germany $8k

UK $6k

Medicaid + Medicare is 22% of all US federal spending. Defense is 13%.

[malfist]

I don't know where you're getting your numbers but according to OECD, the per capita spending in the US is 13k. That's public and private spending. I don't think your 12k per capita number is just public spending.

[WillPostForFood]

Dude, I literally posted a link to the numbers. 12k public. 2.5k private, 14.8k total per person public plus private.

Here is another link to the OECD numbers directly. Is is 12k public, 14.8k Public plus private.

https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/health-at-a-glance-2025...

Can we agree on the 12k and move on now?

[astrange]

The welfare classes that the government hands money to are elderly people and children.

[Saline9515]

This can be a problem, especially for the elderly. In France the retired (pensions are publicly funded) save 25% of their income on average, and earn more than the workers. France is also the most taxed country in the OECD and most voters are either retired or will retire next decade. It's just another clientelism.