Digital Nomads

Dude living in my mom's basement here: go fuck yourself and pay your taxes

If you're smart and an overachiever, the U.S. for sure. I don't know what someone else in this thread was on about how employer-sponsored health insurance plans are "minimum $10,000 per year". That's just not true. If you even look at the average health insurance premiums, it's nowhere close to that. My health insurance is free through my employer, as is the insurance of many people I know (most of whom are not overachievers and working regular jobs like salesperson, claims adjustment for auto insurance companies, or doing administrative work at nonprofits).

I moved to a tax country. NR 1 question is how much money you make. So, is your move worth it?

I make over 300k and pay close to 50% tax in Australia. It sucks to see literally half your paycheck disappear but then I remember we have free healthcare and social safety nets.

I live in the UAE and would highly recommend. Great quality of life, no taxes, mostly good weather, not difficult to meet people, safe and clean. I have also lived in NYC and there’s little respect there for your property, Or safety add in high taxes and heavy handed tax authorities and its a lot to deal with. The things I liked about nyc are being destroyed by the crazy ruling class.

This post went exactly as I would have thought. A bunch of people living in their moms’ basements, who haven’t seen the light of day for months

Strong words for a 22yo with his head so far up his ass I'd be surprised if any light manages to go through at all.

Your question could be easily answered by Google btw, without bemoaning a post going 'exactly as you thought' after getting some perspective from people who are often on the other side of the fence that you so covet for.

Go to places like the US or Argentina and pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Western Europe is obviously not compatible with your socioeconomical values, there's no way around it.

All the same brokie basement dwellers here in the USA want the exact systems you’re describing because when they don’t have any money, they’re perfectly fine with someone else footing the bill

USA. Move to New Hampshire, pay zero income tax, and enjoy having to start a GoFundMe to pay for health care costs in 30 years. Also enjoy watching everyone around you age and deteriorate faster without good access to preventative care.

And you live in Denmark, one of the most progressive countries and you enjoy free education, healthcare and an amazing public system and public amenities. Get a grip sir.

I live in the US, an individualist, self-sufficient and independent paradise. While we pay a lower headline tax rate, effectively we're not paying much less when you factor in services that you'd receive in Denmark that we don't receive here and have to deal with individually, independently and self-sufficiently (losing out on the economies of scale countries like Denmark get by charging everyone for these services, and providing them to everyone). Healthcare is incredibly expensive here - even if you're relatively young and healthy, the one or two times a year you need it really punches you in the face. You also need a car, which most people in Europe don't need because public transportation is good. There are labor protections, meaning you can't be fired if you call in sick, or because your boss is having a bad day, or because it's Tuesday. You can at least somewhat plan your life and start a family.

For me specifically, given the job I have, the industry I'm in and the unusually safe location where I live, my quality of life is an 8 out of 10 (for the moment, I'm a career lottery winner). The problem is there's approximately zero security in it, and as a result, I can't plan my life. I'll never have kids--it's too financially risky, and because childcare isn't subsidized, they're unaffordable. If I get sick, I'm fired. Then I lose my healthcare and I'm bankrupt and homeless a few months later. This is not an exaggeration--it happens all the time. There is no floor underneath how far you can fall here.

The US is a great place to come if you're young and healthy to make money, but it's no place to live or start a family long term. Having visited Denmark, I think many Americans would gladly trade your higher tax rates for the stability, predictability and generally higher quality of life there.

We can argue paying taxes is “required”. True, better to pay an official mafia (government) than other non official non international treaty abiding mafias (eg, narcos as in Mexico).

The problem is you usually dont pay what is needed for society to work. You pay a lot more. Why? Myriad of reasons. Starting with: government is designed to make people think it in itself is essential.

And they are so so good at it, that many smart people will, without hesitation, recite how important government and taxes are; and make fun of libertarianism or minarchy. Why? It is popular to be in consensus. And since governments have been incredibly successful as portraying themselves as guardians of “social” benefit, they feel “bad” for questioning its rationale.

In my case, I find a night-watchman state ideal. With a little component for social adjustment (as investment, not “because you have to”). I dont mind paying my share for my place and services, and why not, adjusting a bit to assist some people; ideally, voluntarily. I would (and I do, thru donations and such). But never imposed.

Having to work half year to pay the government, and then every other transaction you make, pay again, is washed down slavery.

States are like NGOs… most money go to pay for lobbying and management, instead of actual productive tasks. The sooner we see it, the sooner we can fix it.

I find the people who complain about high taxes are usually complaining from a very selfish point of view. They want all the benefits of society that has a great infrastructure but they don’t want to pay for it. They often scapegoat people who are less off than them, but fail to look upward at the people who are tenfold better off than them who are not paying their fair share, and getting all kinds of legislation, corporate, and other, sweetheart deals that benefit only them.

My god. Just go to some place with low taxes where you can’t afford to get hospitalized and hopefully 🤞 well see the Darwin principle in action.