10/11   Someone posted this earlier regarding income tax:
           \_ Why is it an abomination?  It needs to more progressive,
              especially the SS payroll tax, but other than that I don't see it
              being worthy of that particular adjective.  Besides, John,
              aren't you in Europe, home of the VAT and the 45% marginal rate?
        No, I live in Switzerland, home of the VAT that's less than CA's (7.6%)
        the approx. 15-30% of income taxes (including local/state/federal and
        social security, such as it is), working trains, nice highways, and
        functioning schools.  You're thinking EU, which this country is not
        a part of (and hopefully won't ever be.)  -John
        \_ Can I move there? -- ilyas
           \_ No, you can't because you're a dirty foreigner and the Swiss
              would never let you in the country for longer than a reasonable
              length vacation.  You'd never be allowed to legally work and
              would be immediately deported if you managed to get a job and
              were caught.
              \_ I was in Europe once, so I am almost domesticated.
                   -- ilyas
           \_ Sure you can.  Just need a job and someone who's willing to
              sponsor your permit.  By the way, the reason I post all this
              stuff is the same as why I keep telling people here that no,
              you won't get shot in the US, and we don't eat spam.  -John
        \_ Switzerland is lower than the EU, but higher than the US:
           http://www.switzerland-4you.com/pdf/fiscal_burden.pdf
           \_ (a) social security only counts as part of tax burden if it's
              not considered "yours", i.e. if you see it as a tax rather than
              a countribution, (b) the chart is skewed because the equivalent
              of a (voluntary) IRA in the US is state mandated here, but
              privately run (so even stupid people get some kind of pension)
              --I don't believe that's counted towards the US portion of the
              tax burden (don't forget that you can withdraw it as a foreigner
              leaving the country, or if you build a house or something),
              (c) the US has a vastly higher rate of companies moving offshore
               to declare taxes (why do you think rich people/companies move
              to Zug and not to Minneapolis?) (c) that's for overall GDP
              rather than income tax.  As I understand it, Japan has
              fantastically high income taxes, yet ranks below the US in this
              chart.  Explain?  -John
              \_ Overall tax burden is more important than any particular
                 tax rate. If the top tax rate is 90%, but only falls on
                 100 people, it is not significant to talk about it.
                 \_ Unless you're one of those 100.
        \_ no third-world immigration and tons of money/art stolen from Jews.
                 100 people, it is not particularly significant to talk
                 about it.