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SOME here firmly believe we should adopt all the policies of "FREE" EVERYTHING of Denmark.
It isn't that they're happy, they don't know any better and have no aspirations beyond the status where they are born.
NPR
ECONOMY
Are Danes Really That Happy? The Myth Of The Scandinavian Utopia
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by NPR Staff | February 1, 2015 — 4:50 AM
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
On Denmark's high taxes and what Danes get for it
Let's take Denmark for example. We do have literally the highest taxes in the world. The income tax is about — top measures are just over 50 percent. But there's all sorts of other very heavy taxes. ... Most people reckon about three quarters of your income ends up in the state's coffers if you include all the various taxes. You know, if you want to buy a car, there's a 180 percent tax on the car. [Value-added tax] is 25 percent. They have the highest energy taxes. ... So basically I'm working until Thursday lunch time for the government, and the rest of the week for myself. ...
What you get is free education, very cheap pre-school care, functioning public transports, a free health service — all the things that many Americans dream of. Now the big question is: You're paying the highest taxes in the world, is the education system the best in the world? Are the hospitals the best in the world? No, they're not.
On whether Danes are satisfied with the status quo
Actually, that's the perfect word for the Danes. You may have heard they're supposed to be the happiest people in the world, and they have regularly topped these happiness rankings. [But] they haven't, actually, in the last few years. They've dropped dramatically in line with their economy. So I'm afraid [the] side message here is: Money does make you happy. But I've spoken to some of these people who are behind these ranking lists and they secretly admit it's not about happiness, but they just use the word "happy" to grab the headlines. It's really about ... satisfaction and contentedness, and the Danes are massively content.
[...]
http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/02/01/155121/are_danes_really_that_happy_the_myth_of_the_scandinavian_utopia
It isn't that they're happy, they don't know any better and have no aspirations beyond the status where they are born.
NPR
ECONOMY
Are Danes Really That Happy? The Myth Of The Scandinavian Utopia
Tweet Share Email
by NPR Staff | February 1, 2015 — 4:50 AM
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
On Denmark's high taxes and what Danes get for it
Let's take Denmark for example. We do have literally the highest taxes in the world. The income tax is about — top measures are just over 50 percent. But there's all sorts of other very heavy taxes. ... Most people reckon about three quarters of your income ends up in the state's coffers if you include all the various taxes. You know, if you want to buy a car, there's a 180 percent tax on the car. [Value-added tax] is 25 percent. They have the highest energy taxes. ... So basically I'm working until Thursday lunch time for the government, and the rest of the week for myself. ...
What you get is free education, very cheap pre-school care, functioning public transports, a free health service — all the things that many Americans dream of. Now the big question is: You're paying the highest taxes in the world, is the education system the best in the world? Are the hospitals the best in the world? No, they're not.
On whether Danes are satisfied with the status quo
Actually, that's the perfect word for the Danes. You may have heard they're supposed to be the happiest people in the world, and they have regularly topped these happiness rankings. [But] they haven't, actually, in the last few years. They've dropped dramatically in line with their economy. So I'm afraid [the] side message here is: Money does make you happy. But I've spoken to some of these people who are behind these ranking lists and they secretly admit it's not about happiness, but they just use the word "happy" to grab the headlines. It's really about ... satisfaction and contentedness, and the Danes are massively content.
[...]
http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/02/01/155121/are_danes_really_that_happy_the_myth_of_the_scandinavian_utopia