@davidaugust@mastodon.online
I don't think Americans pity anybody else's tax rate. You don't think most Americans don't know our for-profit healthcare system sucks? Do you think Americans honestly want to launch GoFundMes? SCOTUS has made it all but impossible for actual Americans to do fuck-all about anything. Citizens United basically allowed every politician to be openly bought and paid for.

@davidaugust Boom. Right in the schnoz.

@davidaugust all true for less than 6,000,000 people

@davidaugust Oof. So true. They want less government, fewer social programs, no assistance, no "handouts." They aspire to selfishness, which they call independence and self-reliance. So far behind they think they're in front.

@davidaugust
I don't think people understand the idea of free Healthcare. Yes, paying for it in taxes, means it's not free. However, paying for it in taxes means, I don't have to go six years without glasses because I can't afford the exam. It means if my glasses break today, I can go to get an exam, get my prescription and go to get my glasses without taking from my food, rent, and clothing.
Not sure about glasses outside of the US, is that a separate charge?

@davidaugust

I'd rather pay tax any day!

I don't understand people not wanting to pay their share of tax; we ALL benefit.

@davidaugust "thank God I don't pay as much taxes as those foolish Europeans! Now to do my monthly payment towards my student loans and medical debt-"

@noplasticshower @davidaugust If it’s feasible with 6M people, then it should be much more doable with over 60 times as many.

@davidaugust

@noplasticshower @davidaugust in Germany it's truth für 83.500.000 people. If you are Not an idiot you can scale it Up . In the USA is health Care obsessed by criminals

@davidaugust Wow he’s not holding back! Free healthcare and college? Sign me up. Sounds like Norway’s got it figured out while we’re over here GoFundMe-ing our way through sickness. Taxes for dignity > taxes for chaos.

@davidaugust
Not just Norway! Many European countries also have free healthcare, free college, parental leave, and more. It’s necessary to have a well-educated, healthy population that doesn’t fall for fascists…

@faliate
I average about 8 or 9 years per set of eyeglasses.

@davidaugust

@nazokiyoubinbou yeah. Same expense but no benefits.

@nazokiyoubinbou @davidaugust Not nothing. You get a happy mad grifting king and happy vassal corporations.

@WiseWoman indeed, a real bulwark against fascism.

@faliate @davidaugust In my country exams are free and glasses and lenses are subsidized.

@davidaugust I would happily pay more so that my son and all our kids could have this.

@noplasticshower @davidaugust I assume for the majority of us 450,000,000 EU Europeans it is pretty similar. Certainly all of western Europe.

@mike @davidaugust FWIW I've had Americans joke about / make fun of our taxes and social security over here plenty of times over the years...