Naio posted:Stanky posted:Naio posted:Stanky posted:Naio posted:OldSalt posted:L. Cranston posted:Destabilization of the Venezuelan Government is the major source of problems. Republicans can own that one, too.
Are you talking about the sanctions against Venezuela's government officials and supporters? That started in 2015 under the Obama administration.
The rabbit hole is deep. Still doesn't answer the question why we can't have a system like the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway as L Cranston pointed out.
Well yes, we can tax ourselves more and we can give up stuff like homes in the suburbs with cars in the drive for apartments and mass transit. It's a choice for the voters to make.
Denmark has one of the highest tax rates in the world, which is often mentioned as one of the biggest objections against the Danish welfare model. The average annual income in Denmark is about 39,000 euros (nearly $43,000) and as such, the average Dane pays a total amount of 45 percent in income taxes. Danish income taxes are based on a progressive tax system, so if you make more than 61,500 euros (about $67,000) per year, an additional tax rate of 7 percent is added over this threshold.
https://www.usnews.com/news/be...-high-rates-of-taxes
I might also add that there are a whole host of other taxes to consider, like VAT taxes and other consumption taxes. A few years ago I read where one might buy a Honda Accord in the US for around $25K, but in Denmark for the same car I think it went for >$50K with all the other taxes and fees.
Is that the only solution?
I'm sure you can find a politician who will claim to have the best magic wand around, but the outcome for the US could be far worse. Remember that most of those countries have a seven decade head start on nationalizing healthcare when things were much cheaper. Also right now it's not working out so great for those counties either with the influx of immigrants without job skills; as a noted economist pointed out, one can either have open borders or a welfare system but one can't have both. Also the means for most of those countries to pay for the "free stuff", North Sea oil, is playing out.
That's what happened to Venezuela. The price of oil dropped and sanctions were placed on the government.
Seven decades ago, this country was still segregated. UHC wasn't happening then. Seven decades later: now we can't have UHC because of immigrants...
The influx of immigrants was caused by regime change wars. The trillions of dollars the US spent in Afghanistan and Iraq could've went towards universal healthcare.
I sense a pattern.
I might point out the majority of the wave of immigrants storming Europe happened in Ol'bama's time. I sense a pattern as well. If you think that politicians on the left can fund free things because their magical flying ponies can crap gold bullion and pee rainbows, that's fine by me.