Report: Most Heavily Taxed Nations Are the Happiest

MarketWatch:

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says people in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are the most content with their lives. The three ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the OECD's rankings of "life satisfaction," or happiness.

There are myriad reasons, of course, for happiness: health, welfare, prosperity, leisure time, strong family, social connections and so on. But there is another common denominator among this group of happy people: taxes.

Northern Europeans pay some of the highest taxes in the world. Danes pay about two-thirds of their income in taxes.

Read the whole story: MarketWatch

Comments

[ThomasMc]

It must be nice to live in a country that actually cares about the welfare of its citizens, instead of just the profits of its corporations and the filthy-rich!

[elizlucinda]

Yup...I'm a Canadian and I am perfectly content...­...even if you think I pay high taxes

[ReedYoung]

I'd like an opponent of single payer medical care to answer this question, please.

The inherent value of health care "insurance", or medical care policies which provide general coverage in exchange for a flat monthly fee, usually deducted preemptively from your paycheck and paid directly by your employer to your health care "plan," is what exactly?

[sheilaofmiami]

If high taxes will assure that I can get health care, and other care when I need it, if I can know that the government will take care of all the things that are done by the gov't' of the Netherlands, then maybe higher taxes are not quite as evil as everyone likes to think they are.

If taxing will bring about a happier society as a whole, then,yes, I am for it.

But if my tax dollars will be squandered on other peoples private needs, I do not want higher taxes.

No matter what the tax rates are, I do believe that we should all pay as we are expected to.

[ReedYoung]

"But if my tax dollars will be squandered on other peoples private needs, I do not want higher taxes."

Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater (now rebranded "Xe" to escape prosecution and public scrutiny in general), Archer Daniels Midland, Texaco-Chevron, Exxon-Mobil and the TARPed banking/in­surance/sp­eculative investment conglomerates are wasting my money, not the mythical "welfare queen" of the imagination of, I believe it was Grover Norquist, nor does Lou Dobbs' insane obsession with illegal immigrants receiving medical care in emergency rooms really amount to a hill of beans when we count the beans honestly. Large budgets will always attract the corrupt, but privatization of vital public services invites graft and waste much more warmly than services provided by an accountable, democratically elected government because "outsourcing" offers a much easier cloak of ambiguity in which to hide from accountability. Blackwater's murderous thugs and KBR's multiply lethal incompetence and negligence toward their own electrical "work," both appear to be totally immune from prosecution. Whoever decided to start allowing mercenaries under the guise of "private defense contractors" committed outright treason, but I suppose I digress.

If you're truly worried about whether your "tax dollars will be squandered on other people's private needs" you should be most concerned with the disaster complex [I recommend reading 'The Shock Doctrine' by Naomi Klein for proof of this claim], then with petroleum and agriculture corporatism, primary topics for corpwatch.org, and of course well covered by this fine site as well.

[FormerReaganite]

Is it legal for the U.S. to use mercenaries? If so, why?

[Skepticat]

Your tax dollars are being squandered on other peoples private "needs" even as we speak. The question is whether or not society as a whole tends to benefit. If a bank CEO uses TARP funds to buy a solid gold toilet seat - we would probably agree your tax dollars could be better spent.
However, If some young mother is using food stamps to buy food for her small children would you prefer the kids starve to death instead of having their private needs met by tax money. I live in Canada - and our politicians are no better than anywhere else. However I believe Canadians get much better value out of the taxes they pay than you do - and its not because some needy don't benefit - but because the GREEDY aren't rewarded the way they have been in the USA.

[freethemarkets212]

Look at all the pretty buildings in FRANCE.The government owns them on the backs of the middle class and poor(Sounds like Democrats)­.This is nothing more than the Media pushing Obama's wealth destroying pollicis.T­he American people are catching on,and the Media is trying to keep YOU GUYS on track.Plea­se don't be fooled by this.

[hw]

We're taxed by a thousand little cuts here in the USA.
Look at your phone and utility bills for example...­.

It all adds up.

State and local taxes pay for roads, schools and services, not the Fedral income tax.

At least in Europe they get something back for their taxes, Health care, a Safely Net if your're unemployed.
Here in the USA it's 'sink or swim' for most people, because all our tax money goes to military adventures.

[freethemarkets212]

Obama just admitted on TV,what Ive said all along(My Budget is unsustainable) code for I'm a liar,I have no idea what to do,your taxes are going way up.2010 Dem seats are over,and 2012 is the Statists last year in office.Nic­e try Liberals in destroying the country like you did in CA.Its not going to happen.

[ReedYoung]

Like in CA? California has gone broke carrying red states' dead weight.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/22685.html
Maybe we should legislate that federal spending in each state must be within +/- 10% of the federal revenue from that state. Then you could see whether California is the source of the problem, or the solution staring you red statists in the face.

[freethemarkets212]

Tax rates in France are terrible.T­he income per ca pita is half of the U.S.Even with a 32 hour work week unemployment hovers around 8%.I can do this all day.Libera­ls are easily tricked,by movie star rantings ,and the same politicians that keep them down.Chubb­y B Frank wants more tax payer money to buy CA bonds.Almo­st every Liberal State is being crushed under Liberal Democrat policies.H­ey America lets let Obama use the policies on the nation....­..NOT.

[classicalgeek]

Did you live and work in France? My experience was that I was paid more salary than in the US, taxed at about the same rate, went to university for $200/semester, had much better working conditions (including six weeks of mandatory paid vacation), and most French men take off early on Wednesdays to be home with their children, who are released early from school on Wednesdays. My health care (including dental) was 100% free, and I always got to see the doctor within 24 hours, and the care I received was superior--the doctor once spent an hour and a half with me, diagnosing a problem I had for years, which presented as nineteen separate symptoms, for which (in the USA) I was referred to nineteen separate specialists, and took nineteen separate medications. I stopped the medications and added a plant to my diet, and my medical problems cleared up within three weeks.

That 8% unemployment is the REAL unemployment rate; they know exactly how many people are out of work, because they receive unemployment benefits. The unemployed in France have in many cases started nonprofits and are actively usefully engaged in society. Here the REAL unemployment rate is unknown, because it does not count those who are no longer eligible for unemployment benefits, or have given up looking for work or homeless.

Not that France doesn't have its problems, but it has its charms, too. Not worrying about retirement, unemployment, health, or university education being among them.

[Catriona]

I live in Brittany and everything you say is true.

[confidance government]

I am just pissed that not only did I have to pay for my own degree as I earned it in the USA, after I started working in France I had to start paying the ridiculous tax rate. I got the best of the both worlds, high taxation and high student debt.

Definitely agree with the healthcare, its very good here

[elizlucinda]

there is a lot of trash talk on here right now. Before you criticize other countries do a little reading first!!

[DC]

This article and headline stretch the conclusion: High taxes = happiness.

One might conclude instead Low military spending = social happiness.

Maybe it is the expensive military machine in the US that is stealing from good infrastructure, effective educational services, etc., that creates more unhappiness and social stress.

[alexandra hamilton]

I read the article as implying that the "ROI" on taxes the taxpayer gets is what makes people happy. Good healthcare, social safety net, public transport, good public education system, etc.
But you are right, most of these countries do not have such a high military spending as the U.S. has.
However, even that pales when you see what the politicians pour into Wall St. in terms of subsidies. Imagine what could have been done with all that money. Instead it just vanished into a black hole.

[freethemarkets212]

You are being tricked.

[thenorthshore]

"Imagine what could have been done with all that money..."

maybe i could get some of my money back

[KarateKid]

The Netherlands is about the size of Connecticut. Now, doesn't it stand to reason it would be easier to have the things they do in a country that tiny? And as for Sweden, Denmark and Norway, those countries are not very diverse and they've been living with that cultural isolation and with each other for centuries longer than the US, which is only a little over 200 years old. Some of you need to grow a brain.

[thenorthshore]

given the history of aggression over the last 100 years in europe one might think they would hope to protect themselves.

eurotrash know this isn't needed because the USA have/will save them from themselves.

no need to spend any money on defense/military to help them selves or assist other nations (ex. darfur) in crisis

[Catriona]

>> eurotrash know this isn't needed because the USA have/will save them
>> from themselves.

With all America's military might the US couldn't fight a fog.

I recall when America was clobbered by tunnel-dwelling girl-sized men dressed in PJs and wearing BF Goodrich sandals. Your bravest and best had to be rescued, air-lifted from the roof of the US Embassy in Saigon.

I'm not blaming the American soldiers. No; it;s the leadership that is lacking. Sure you can 'nuke' all of humanity, but you can't win a conventional war AND keep the peace afterward, which is part of the process.

What a sad thing for a once-great country.

You do produce loads of hot air though.

[elizlucinda]

Does that apply to Canada too?

[dutchman]

Actually, it's more like the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined. But you make a semi-valid point - we don't have to build 3,000 mile interstate systems; however, it doesn't mean that we can spend much less on per capita infrastructure. NL is one of the most densely populated places on earth, so we have correspondingly high road density, as well as all the requisite water, power and other types of modern infrastructure.

And you're also off target when you talk about diversity and isolation. All three nations are tightly integrated into world trade and international political bodies, and all three have levels of foreign born residents on par with or even higher than (in the case of NL) the United States. And I'm not sure what age has to do with anything. Remember, the Netherlands as a nation only goes back to the 1830s, although large chunks of the country have been around as city-states and other political entities for many centuries. Regardless, we've figured out ways of dealing with modern challenges that the US seems deeply reluctant to learn from, to the sad detriment of its citizens, this Dutchman included.

Perhaps it's you that needs to grow a brain, or at least travel a bit before making such absurd statements.

[AbeMartin]

Does Texas count as a happy country?

[PhilipTaylor]

Summarized Comments about European and other Health Care Systems from another page

My parents live in Europe=European Health system works better than US
Nat'l health care France+Isr­ael=Wonder­ful
Canadian Health Care=People efficient+­curtious+h­elpful+ext­remely capable

[Carolab]

Sweden, Belgium, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway.

And just look at where these countries are compared to us on the Peace Index.

http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2008/

[PhilipTaylor]

US ranks 97 - seems too high! Twice Iceland!

[KarateKid]

These countries are less complex than the US, which is much more culturally diverse, has been a nation for far less time than those you mention, and hasn't developed an identity yet, which takes centuries. How about factoring in those things?

[cdnnewsjunky]

Try being serious.

[Naktyvyras]

"US hasn't developed an identity yet."

-Karatekid

**********­**********­**********­*********
You people bash your own country for the sake of finding an excuse to be in a state of denial about other people's countries?

[cobobs]

when the bulk of taxes go to maintaining a HUGE military, some things essential for human happiness, contentment and security are bound to be left out.

[flossophy]

@ AmandaBC

and Amanda, btw... you confuse 'evi| US corporate interests' with free trade...

big difference.

Coming off of WW2, the west realized the value of trade in stabilizing regions. Countries that traded with each other were less likely to go to war against each other. So the left's view of 'US corporate interests' is really just free international trade. Corporate interests come and go... but the market is what's important.

The S0cial Democrats and Pr0gressives simply want to annex the free market so they control more of it... H|t|er & Muss0|ini tried to do the same thing with abysmal results. It's best just to keep the greedy fingers of the Pr0gressives out of the market... they should be the referees..­. not a capitalist player on ster0ids.

Your BC teachers didn't teach you that one, i bet.

[PhilipTaylor]

Cat got your tongue!

[PhilipTaylor]

What ridiculous stretches must you go to to try to save your way of viewing the world!

Why don't you open your little mind to new ides when new facts are presented? That is called learning!

[cdnnewsjunky]

I think flossy gets more fun out of making outlandish and inflamitory statements, than he does out listening or reading.

[flossophy]

Where am I wrong, genius... I've read your nonsense. You have no clue how things work.

[flossophy]

@ AmandaBC

... so that gives C`a`s`t`r`0 the right to turn C`u`b`a from a prosperous parad|se into a hu`man wa`ste`|and and personal pris0n? Look at what you're defending.­.. that country is decades behind the D0minican Repub|ic. They have NO hu`man rights, civi| rights, po|itica| |iberty or ec0n0mic |iberty...

Think of how silly your position is... you defend this cr|me against hum`an|ty called 'C`u`b`a'.

And the US is the big meanie in this arrangemen­t...

[PhilipTaylor]

How silly and ignorant can you be?

Comparing Cuba, a dictatorship that has had a US Boycott for 50 Years, to Europe?

We are talking about countries in Europe that produce BMWs, VWs, Volvos, Great Wines, Great Food in General, fantastically well kept, well located and controlled industries, clean water, small cars, and intellectual centers.

And you compare Cuba to that? SanSilly Person!

[flossophy]

It was from a previous convo...

Europe's economies feature very slow growth... which means they're not as resilient to downturns in the economy. The US economic engine allows Europe to wallow in their indulgences while the US does all the heavy lifting around the world trying to promote liberty.

period.

[FormerReaganite]

Hey flossophy, is your keyboard busted?

[cdnnewsjunky]

Do you have any idea what Cuba looked like under Batista?

[PhilipTaylor]

What would it look like today if there were not a 50 year boycott?