Civil War, Part II

[Crusader]

And, then, you answered your own question.Which you estimate is 60% of your earning power. Subtract what you need to actually live, and that gives you an idea of your ability to elevate your position through investment. So, they rob you of your money before you would get to invest it, thus robbing you also of the compounding that you might achieve by saving or investing it as well.

As an experiment; Say you earned $1 million over ten years. Your annual cost of living expenses were say $40,000, leaving $60,000 for investment. If the government taxes 60%, you have zero remaining. Whereas, here in the USA, the level is just a little less (considering taxes from all sources). Under the current system, the only way to invest, or save, is to command a salary well above the cost of living, and then with progressive taxation, you fight an uphill battle trying to do so. I would say it is obvious that you would be much better off by being able to keep your money and invest it. You are saying you are better off with the government taking all your investment power away, but guaranteeing you safety should you someday be unable to work for them anymore.

It appears that you work for the State (60%), and they allow you enough to provide for your own housing, food, and transportation. How are you not a vassal of the State?

mmmmmm.... no, because here you assume I earn the same as an American and thus, have less left compared to said American. Not true. I earn a lot more then an American in the same role and level of experience. We Dutchies are expensive employees. As a result I still can do rougly the same things an American in my position can do.

So why bother working then?

Excellent point. Firstly if you can work but don't you get very little money, hardly enough to get by on, and you have to go by the food bank for free food, etc. And people look down on you. Plainly put, if you work, you can afford luxery. If you don't, you can survive, but that's it.

Hi,
I can think of two reasons. The first is that even 40% can be the difference between state supported subsidence living and a few luxuries. The second is that doing nothing is boring.

--Pete

Pete came close. And the social stigma is a big downer. If you live like a parasite of society, you can expect people paying for your food to look down on you.

There is another big plus side to the Dutch system that isn't mentioned. Less poverty. No tent cities when some banks do an oopsie or things like that. And because there's less poverty, there's less criminality.