Comments on: Global prosperity index boots America from top 10

By: Suzie

Suzie — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:25:09 +0000

Poppycock! America will become the world’s prosperity leader again when its voters reject extremists and ideologues in their government, and choose pragmatic centrist leaders who base their decisions on the interests of Americans.

Mark J,
I know of a lot of leftwing extremists in our government including our president. I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a conservative extremist unless you mean someone who wants extreme liberty or extreme freedom for people. We have ONE and only group which has consistently proposed the solution that will end our fiscal crisis by emulating the policies of the GOP Congress of the late 1990s to reduce the spending rate, and that is the Tea Party . If you find that an extremist view, I assume you believe Greece’s situation is the natural order of things.

By: Bill Perdue

Bill Perdue — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 02:32:38 +0000

Mark, watching a program on traveling in Prague and Chesky Lrumlovv. Looks like a great place to go!

I couldn’t agree more about choosing pragmatic, centrist leaders!

By: mike O

mike O — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:40:57 +0000

Mark,
Re: “What is it that American’s think their military is protecting my country from?”

I appreciate your international knowledge. As our WWII veterans are quickly passing it seems the realization that there are truly bad people in the world is passing with them.

Sadly, one need not look too far to find the answer the the question these other countries ask. It seems that every time we place our heads in the sand, we gain the same result.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”

By: markj

markj — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 08:57:13 +0000

Mike O, you raise two interesting questions/points. Here are my thoughts on them:
1) Compared to USA, the taxes in Norway and Sweden are much higher – not “some-what higher”. This is indicated in the table. It becomes clear when you compare not only the top rate, but also where the top tax bracket starts. For example, observe that by the time you hit $85k income bracket in Sweden, you are already in the top 57% tax rate. It should be noted that the cost of living (and therefore incomes) is higher in most of Sweden than in most of USA also.

Its not easy to make apples to apples tax comparisons. That is why companies like KPMG, Ernst & Young etc. charge a good $5k for developing executive expat tax equalization packages. Nevertheless, the table in the column gives a quite fair indication, although simplified.

2) Military spending. You raise a subject that I have touched upon in many columns. You suggest that many countries have low military budgets because they know/believ the U.S. will protect them. Many American’s share your belief. This could be the greatest misconception of how American’s view themselves compared to how the rest of the world views Americans. The vast majority of the world, I would say almost universally with the exception of Israel, have a very negative view of the U.S. military might and consider it a global offensive war machine, rather than something that provides security for their country. The most common reply you will get from a Scandanavian to your statement will be the following question – What is it that American’s think their military is protecting my country from?

By: John Wilburn

John Wilburn — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 01:49:08 +0000

Kristen:

5.”Yes Lars, it’s 4 more years of no one looking at your blog.”

LOL

By: mike O

mike O — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 22:35:26 +0000

Mark,
It is difficult to get a complete picture with the limited information provided. Obviously (from the chart) the tax rates are somewhat larger in Sweden, Norway, …etc; does this include the entire tax burden? Do they have local taxes? Sales taxes? Property taxes…?

I read today that the USA has the highest corporate tax rate in the world (haven’t investigated).

I guess my point is, are the real numbers apples to apples?

Also, something that continuously chaps my a$$ is that so many countries can use their resources to prosper because they can invest a relatively small amount for their own “defense” as they know/believe that the USA will protect them. Is that hypothetical expense included in the numbers? Doesn’t this “burden” drain great resources from us that would be very difficult to evaluate?

By: Warren

Warren — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 22:31:42 +0000

5.Yes Lars, it’s 4 more years of no one looking at your blog.

Kristen for the Win!

By: Shrillary

Shrillary — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 21:51:49 +0000

A long article about the view of the US from Germany’s perspective…I think it goes towards Markj’s point.

Notes on the Decline of a Great Nation
By SPIEGEL Staff
“The United States is frittering away its role as a model for the rest of the world. The political system is plagued by an absurd level of hatred, the economy is stagnating and the infrastructure is falling into a miserable state of disrepair. On this election eve, many Americans are losing faith in their country’s future.”
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/divided-states-of-america-notes-on-the-decline-of-a-great-nation-a-865295.html

By: dave

dave — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:08:23 +0000

We do not have a capitalistic free market. We haven’t had for more than a century. We have to recognize that while private enterprise and entrepreneurship are good things, that there are and always will be areas where controls must be used to curb its excesses in the interests of the overall society. And there are and always will be areas where government
can best accomplish the things that our citizens and society require. Health care, schools, infrastructure, and citizen protection are all areas that rquire government participation to make them accomplish the goals of providing for the general welfare as noted in our Constitution.
And I just d not belikeve that constantly raising consumption in the name of a higher GDP is necessarily a good thing.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:22:00 +0000

Yes Lars, it’s 4 more years of no one looking at your blog.