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People in highly taxed countries (that's not the US) better off
People who live in countries with higher taxes enjoy lower rates of poverty, have more equal income distribution, more economic security for workers and can expect to live longer, suggests a new study from a left-leaning think tank.
Written by two Toronto tax law professors for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the report, released Wednesday, is blunt.
"Tax cuts are disastrous for the well-being of a nation's citizens," say authors Neil Brooks and Thaddeus Hwong.
The study compares four high-tax Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland) with six low-tax Anglo-American countries (the U.K., U.S., Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand).
The four Nordic countries scored better than the lower-taxed countries on most of the 50 indicators measured in the report, including:
* Rate of poverty, equality of income distribution, and economic security for workers.
* GDP per capita.
* Rate of household saving and net national saving.
* Innovation, including percentage of GDP spent on research and development.
* Growth competitiveness as ranked by the World Economic Forum.
* Rates of secondary school and university completion.
* Rate of drug use.
* Leisure time.
The more lowly taxed countries came out on top in seven of the 50 indicators, including their sense of freedom, their suicide rates and the number of people reporting they are very happy.
Canada below OECD average
Of the high-income OECD countries studied between 1990-2002, Japan and the U.S. had the lowest tax rates, at 26.8 per cent and 28.0 per cent of GDP respectively.
Canada was ranked in the low-to-intermediate level at 35.7 per cent, close to the levels recorded in the U.K., New Zealand and Spain.
Countries with higher tax revenues included Norway (41.9 per cent), France (43.4 per cent) and Finland (46.2 per cent). Sweden topped the list at 50.5 per cent.
Report compares Finland, U.S.
The report also compares social and economic conditions in Finland with those of the United States, which has one of the lowest tax rates of industrialized countries.
The U.S. has a greater percentage of people living in poverty, lower incomes for the elderly and the disabled, less economic security for workers, fewer women in professions and senior civil service and "shockingly" unequal income distribution, says the report.
In the U.S., 17 per cent of individuals live below 50 per cent of the country's median income; in Finland, that number is 6.4 per cent.
Finland, by contrast, reports a lower percentage of people living below the poverty line, more equal income distribution between the elderly and disabled and the rest of the population, high economic security for workers and more women in senior civil and legislative positions.
Americans also have one of the lowest life expectancies among industrialized countries, two years behind Finland and three behind Canada.
"The United States spends over twice as much of its GDP on health care than Finland (15 per cent versus 7.4 per cent), and yet U.S. health care outcomes remain far worse — indeed, worse than most other industrialized countries," it says.
Workers in the Anglo-American countries also spend more time on the job, clocking on average 1,824 hours per year. This is 274 hours more than the Nordic average.
Canadians spend 1,736 hours on the job every year.
"By cutting taxes, the Conservative government is taking Canada in the wrong direction," says Brooks. "It wants to make Canada more like the United States, yet our findings show that Americans bear severe social costs for living in one of the lowest taxed countries in the world."
Best known for its annual alternative budget, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has issued news releases in support of the Kyoto Protocol, and against the softwood lumber agreement and NAFTA. People who live in countries with higher taxes enjoy lower rates of poverty, have more equal income distribution, more economic securi... more -
Finnish translation of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"
History of Cannabis Hemp English version is at: www.jackherer.com
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Wife carrying contest
It's the annual wife carrying races in Finland and husbands have been training hard for the event.
People from all over the world travelled to the country of the midnight sun to compete in the bizarre races in which husbands have to carry their spouses around an obstacle course. It's the annual wife carrying races in Finland and husbands have been training hard for the event. ... more -
Finland's wife carrying contest
It's the annual wife carrying races in Finland and husbands have been training hard for the event.
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How to Win Your Wife's Weight in Beer
Every year, the small Finnish town of Sonkajärvi hosts the Wife Carrying World Championships. All men have to do is sprint around an obstacle course while carrying their wives. And the women? They have to hold on tight -- which isn't as easy as it sounds.
Read more... Every year, the small Finnish town of Sonkajärvi hosts the Wife Carrying World Championships. All men have to do is sprint around an o... more -
What makes Finnish kids so smart?
Finnish kids are some of the smartest in the world, according to one international measure. "They earned some of the top scores by 15-year-old students who were tested in 57 countries. American teens finished among the world's C students even as U.S. educators piled on more homework, standards and rules."
WHY? They don't study crazy hours in to the night. In high school they have about 1/2 hour of homework. Kids don't even start school until they are 7-years-old.
Simple: well-trained teachers and responsible students.
Maybe it's not so simple, or everyone (country) could do it.
Check out the article for more reasons why. Finnish kids are some of the smartest in the world, according to one international measure. "They earned some of the top scores ... more -
Man gets new jaw grown from his own stem cells
Scientists in Finland said they had replaced a 65-year-old patient's upper jaw with a bone transplant cultivated from stem cells isolated from his own fatty tissue and grown inside his abdomen.
Researchers said on Friday the breakthrough opened up new ways to treat severe tissue damage and made the prospect of custom-made living spares parts for humans a step closer to reality.
This is an absolutely amazing new procedure. Its a shame that our moral-based policies are keeping us from being at the cutting edge of this medical technology. Scientists in Finland said they had replaced a 65-year-old patient's upper jaw with a bone transplant cultivated from stem cells ... more -
A Future Where Nature Belongs In A Museum
Imagine a world where nature has become so rare, so incapable of serving its natural purpose, that it functions as nothing more than an amusement attraction. That's what Finnish artist Ilkka Halso has done in these futuristic portrayals.
"It took for the Arctic to start melting at a rapid rate, glacial retraction, extreme weather patterns, expansion of tropical disease, and unexplainable shifts in agriculture for global warming to be accepted as both a serious issue and reality.
Sadly, despite millions in corporate investment for green technologies, six of the world's largest polluters (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States) will all be dependent on fossil fuels for years to come." Imagine a world where nature has become so rare, so incapable of serving its natural purpose, that it functions as nothing more than a... more -
Refrains of Disdain
Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen collected the pet peeves and angst-ridden pleas of people in Helsinki to compose this choral masterpiece. Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen collected the pet peeves and angst-ridden pleas of people in Helsinki t... more
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Finland has been allowing 15 year-olds to buy guns!!!!
The recent deadly school rampage in Finland has brought focus on the hunting-prone nation's gun laws. Finland has the world's third highest rate of gun ownership behind the United States and Yemen and 15-year-olds can buy guns if parents approve.
Raising the gun buying age to 18 would not have prevented this shooting as the shooter was 18 years old
And I thought the U.S. was the crazy gun country. Now if guns are the problem and if Finland has been allowing 15 year-olds to buy guns why hasn't there been dozens of high profile shootings in Finland like there has been in America? I think this speaks volumes about how it's the culture of the country that influences gun violence far more than the availability of guns themselves.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8VIh1Sw3R61ppFilzgq... The recent deadly school rampage in Finland has brought focus on the hunting-prone nation's gun laws. Finland has the world'... more -
Finland Gun Policy Under Fire
Finlands accommodating gun laws are likely to attract criticism after an 18-year-old gunman shot dead seven children and a school principal today.
About 56 of every 100 Finns own a gun according to a study by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies this year, putting the rate of firearm ownership in Finland third after the United States and Yemen. Finlands accommodating gun laws are likely to attract criticism after an 18-year-old gunman shot dead seven children and a school pri... more -
A Deadly School Shooting in Finland
8 dead at yet another school shooting, but this time in Finland.
What's going on with these kids/schools!?
If you guys have opinions- I want to hear them 8 dead at yet another school shooting, but this time in Finland. What's going on with these kids/schools!? ... more -
Finland School Shooter Dies
"An 18-year-old believed to have shot dead eight people at a Finnish high school Wednesday has died at the hospital from self-inflicted injuries, police said." "An 18-year-old believed to have shot dead eight people at a Finnish high school Wednesday has died at the hospital from self-inf... more
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School Shooting in Finland
Eight are dead after a student ran through the school with a handgun.
He posted a video about the shooting on YouTube two weeks ago. Eight are dead after a student ran through the school with a handgun. ... more -
School Shooting in Finland
A YouTube video shockingly predicted the school shooting was posted just hours before a deranged gunman in Finland killed eight at Jokela High School. A YouTube video shockingly predicted the school shooting was posted just hours before a deranged gunman in Finland killed eight at Jok... more
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School Shooting Linked to Youtube
At least eight people were killed when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at a school in Finland Wednesday, according to Finnish police. The shooting appeared to have been planned out in graphic videos posted on Internet file-sharing site YouTube. At least eight people were killed when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at a school in Finland Wednesday, according to Finnish police... more
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Finland School Shooting - You Tube Warning
8 dead and 10 more wounded after an 18 year old student went on a rampage at Jokela High School. This was the country's second ever school shooting, and the gunman apparently posted a video on you tube hours before opening fire. The video showed a picture of the school which fragments to reveal a red-tinted picture of himself pointing a gun at the camera. The shooting happened around noon Finnish time. The principal of the school was shot and killed. The shooter shot himself and was found on the floor in a hall. He later died of his injuries in the hospital. 8 dead and 10 more wounded after an 18 year old student went on a rampage at Jokela High School. This was the country's second ... more
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Finland Hit By School Shooting
Over seven people are reported to be killed after a pupil went on a rampage at a Finnish school, hours after a chilling video was posting on YouTube that seemingly predicted the massacre. Over seven people are reported to be killed after a pupil went on a rampage at a Finnish school, hours after a chilling video was post... more
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Finland = Best Place to Live
Or at least according to new rankings published by Reader's Digest.Are they owned by the French or something?! The good old U. S. of A. comes in 23rd. 23rd?! WTF? We're the bastions of democracy (or, we were) and capitalism and freedom (sort of) and gun ownership. Come on man, that's got to be worth something.Joking aside, Reader's Digest used the UN's Human Development Index and the Environmental Sustainability Index drawn up by Yale and Columbia universities and the World Economic Forum as the statistical basis for the ranking. The list looks at several environmental (air and water quality, greenhouse-gas emissions) and social factors (gdp, education, unemployment, life expectancy).Nordic countries dominate the top of the list (Reader's Digest must like the cold). Or at least according to new rankings published by Reader's Digest.Are they owned by the French or something?! The good old U. S... more
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