Sweden overtakes the US in competitiveness

[mgc1961]

Sweden is the world’s second most competitive country, the World Economic Forum said in its annual ranking, hailing the Scandinavian country for its transparent institutions, efficient financial markets and the world’s strongest technological adoption.

Switzerland topped the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011. Sweden overtook the US and Singapore this year to be placed 2nd overall.

Sweden benefits from the world’s most transparent and efficient public institutions, with very low levels of corruption and undue influence and a government that is considered to be one of the most efficient in the world, the report stated.

More at http://www.swedishwire.com/economy/8578-sweden-overtakes-the-us-in-competitiveness

What are we going to do about this socialist embarrassment? :silly:

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[Spoonman]

2. What are we going to do about this socialist embarrassment?

We can use it to clearly demonstrate the fact that the people of Sweden are merely slaves to the government and PRIVATE corporations there.

Sweden is NOT a socialist country as it does not have collective ownership.
It is commonly referred to as a "Scandinavian model" country.

The corporate tax rate is 26.3%

Individual income tax is for EVERY penny earned (in dollars) as follows 30% $0.00 - $57,699, 50% from $57,699 - $82,603, and 55% on anything over $82,603.

The lower income families there pay TRIPLE what we pay here!

"Income" includes EVERYTHING.
For example, you receive a Christmas turkey from your employer as a gift. You MUST declare it as income.

By the way, these rates include contribution to the Swedish Church! (can you say forced tithing)

Let's not forget the VAT tax of 25% (essentially a sales tax)

It's easy to be a competitive country when the people are merely "worker bees".

I guess there is something to the old saying that ignorance is bliss.

[Festivito]

3. 30% is three times 15%? Really? We're not payed slaves?

Our poorest workers must give to SS and MCare no matter how little they earn. That means they pay 7.65% out of their paycheck and the employer pays an additional 7.65% out of what the worker earns from being employed, 15.3%. Add in any other benefits Swedes get and we may or may not get and the percent our countrymen pay looks worse and worse.

Add in that our poor pay property tax in the monthly rent, pay sales tax on everything they spend, and then have to buy education, health care, pay their own sick days, and retirement separately.

You don't want to figure out that percentage. You'd either have to admit your own ignorance or that your an unfeeling plant.

And for all that we get SS that might disappear, and Medicare that only stays so that rich hospital owners can suck our money into their pockets.

In other words: we pay more, get less, and the rich like it like that.

[vert1276]

4. I dont know

I dont know what to say to that post, except I think I just lost 3 IQ points after reading it LOL

Let me first say you have NO idea what you are talking about!!

Yes the poor pay payroll taxes no matter how much they make (7.65%) but you have to take into account they get that money back in income taxes because the bottom 20% of wage earners pay -6.6% in income taxes (that means their refund check is bigger then what they put in to begin with lol)

Marginal rates mean NOTHING you have to look at effective rates (ya know, what you REALLY end up paying)
so here you go, EDUCATE yourself!

http://freemarketmojo.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/effective-tax-rates-across-the-globe/

[Festivito]

5. Welcome to DU. I hope you get your IQ back.

Your post is confusing. First you don't know. Then you don't know what to say.

Then you know something. Good. You know that I don't know what I'm talking about.

Well, that's clear.

Then you continue. Oh. Not so clear anymore. Hmm. Are you talking about Earned Income Credit? (Republicans are trying to get rid of it.) Otherwise, one only gets refunds only to the amount one paid earlier. And that would only be on the Federal (state, county and city as well) witholding(s) -- not FICA: SS and MCare.

Oh, the rates I quoted are actual and only, the word marginal is not really needed here. And, when one pays 15.3% (not getting EIC) one pays 15.3%. 15.3% is the effective rate, the marginal rate, the only rate.

And when you put in a link, it is best to have one that has something to do with what you are saying. People making $100,000 a year, ... they are not poor.

[vert1276]

6. well first off

you dont pay 15.3 you pay 7.65% unless you are sell employed or a 1099. Are you suggesting that if employers didn't have to pay the 7.65% (half of the 15.3%)for their employees that every company would give a 7.65% raise to everyone? That would make the price of labor go up 7.65% because the company got a 7.65% tax break? LOL thats laughable. So what you are basically saying is every time a company get a tax break that it is passed on in higher wages?

And yes the bottom 47% of wage earners pay NO income taxes is this news to you? and the bottom 20% pay a NEGATIVE 6.6% in income taxes. This is because of many deductions like the earned income credit, mortgage interest deduction, health insurance deduction, state income tax deduction ect ect.

[Festivito]

7. Do you have a link for that information?

I didn't think so. There is some faulty right-wing information similar to that that I saw years ago. One thing is that you have to quote that exactingly because it is only true when quoted as written and not when it is repeated in clear sentences. I would think that English is not your first language by the grammar and spelling mistakes you have made so far. It's okay, you have been clear enough. Be careful though. Quote or link the exact words, then we can show where the misconceptions arise between us.

Oh, if tomorrow, SS and MCare were repealed and you and I would have to buy all that on our own, I'd go to my boss and say, hey, that extra you were paying me through SS and MCare now needs to come to me directly. Do you think he would just do that without asking? Some would. But it is no laughing matter, I'll go ask for it. It is what I am earning, I want to be paid for what I earn. With my work, with my sweat, I earn my salary some of which goes to FICA, I earn my benefits some of which also goes to FICA.

Good luck.

[vert1276]

8. really

LMAO normal response I expect from a liberal when losing a debate, always go with the trusty "your grammar sucks on a chat forum, you must be dumb" really?? thats what ya got??

And your employer would LAUGH in your face if every time they got a tax break you asked for a raise because somehow you think its YOUR money! It's not your wages he is paying in taxes. It is a TAX he is paying to employ a legal worker in the USA. ITS NOT YOUR MONEY. You have no right to it. If you didn't like it you could choose to quite and move on. The demand for your labor didn't go up 7.65% because the company you work for got a 7.65% tax break. Its simple supply and demand. econ 101!

[Festivito]

9. As I thought -- no link.

Supply and demand also involves work versus wages. If you sat through Econ 101, great, but, did they teach you how to apply it. If company A won't give me what I need to live, well, I may need to go to company B. I need salary and insurances such as retirement, health care, etc.

If company B is not laughing, but is rather paying, goodbye company A, hello company B.

If you want to sit back and say, hey, nice, boss, you took a half a benefit away from me and kept it for yourself, jeepers, good for you. Talk about LOL, ROFLMAO.

I gather the grammar and spelling mistakes were just that. It is early morning. Please accept my apology and have a good day. I must go work.

[vert1276]

10. NP

NP apology accepted. Have a good day at work!

And yes I now how to apply it! I am a working economist. And labor works on supply and demand just like any other commodity. A tax break or hike has little to no effect on wages. Supply and demand does. Because a company gets a tax break doesn't mean the demand for labor goes up. It could slightly because companies will have more money to spend and could try to expand and hire more driving up demand for labor, which in turn will increase labor costs. But there is NO company on earth that is going to take a tax break and just transfer that break to wages.

[vert1276]

12. here is a link

that shows effective income tax rates. scroll down to the second chart and it will show the Effective rate you pay not the marginal rate. the lowest quintile (bottom 20% of wage earners) pay a -6.6 percent in income taxes. Then look at the first chart. That shows the effective rate people pay on ALL federal taxes combined. So income taxes plus FICA (social insurance tax SS and MC) the lowest quintile (bottom 20% of wage earners aka the working poor) pay 4.3% total in taxes when everything is averaged out.

Hope this link helps! :)


http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=456

[Spoonman]

11. I apologize,

I was expecting anyone that replied to know what the lowest US tax bracket was.
Obviously you do not "know" as much as you think, because the lowest tax bracket in the US is 10%.

The ignorance is yours exclusively if you fail to realize that EVERYONE pays the things you mentioned!

But please fell free to perpetuate the class warfare that is driving the independent voters away from the "whiner" side of the Democratic party.

I dread Nov 2012, the repukes will run it all.