Laughing with a 45% Taxrate in austria.

Our marginal rates are vastly higher in Canada and that's before all the other associated payroll taxes. You don't need what I would consider high income to be paying nearly 55% here in Canada as a marginal rate.

But we're a massive landmass with a tiny population and we're spread across this landmass and as a result infrastructure costs a small fortune. I disagree with many of our social programs structures, not necessarily with their intention but more so how they operate and as a result take issue with the end result.

This post was edited by SBD on Feb 1 2024 08:35am

Don’t kid yourself. In America you pay but don’t get it

You must have knowledge of which countries are attractive if you need medical procedures, probably procedure pending.

Where can us Canadians go to get expedited procedures/surgery at a reasonable cost.

I don't need anything, but I watch those on the waitlist here and I dread the day I do need something done. Especially for non life threatening things like knee or hip replacements, the waitlist here is 5+ years in some provinces.

This post was edited by SBD on Feb 1 2024 08:51am

Didn't you just get a $2000 tax credit?

We are talking for elective knee/hip replacements, yeah 6 months is definitely long. But elective surgery in the US doesn’t happen overnight either. Although much better, the wait time is still 1-2 months for any elective ortho surgery involving knee, hip, shoulder

The trade off is you can go the the ER in your prime years without worry of a multiple thousand dollar bill, or worse a hospitalization and end up with a 5 digit bill (with insurance)



What you mean sir

This post was edited by Bazi on Feb 1 2024 09:17am

Depends on area here in Canada since we all have our individual provincial / territorial health cards.

Halifax right now is pushing about a year. - Halifax QEII Health Sciences Centre (All Sites) 364 days.

You go to some of the worst areas in Canada though and if you're unfortunate enough to reside there you're looking at a multi-year process here.

And might I add, that's not from the initial take of time / first consultation / checkup. That's after approval to get one.

I am thankful, in a critical emergency I am going through ER and I wont come out to a bill. Dont get me wrong.

This post was edited by SBD on Feb 1 2024 09:19am

My dads worked for the Chicago Tribune newspaper for over 35+ years. On the press line with a hardhat and ear plugs. He literally used ONE sick day in all that time.

In all that time he was never given an HONEST wage bump and never bitched ONCE. He joined the Tribune in the 80's before I was born(I'm 34).

When the Tribune got bought out they started laying off massive amounts of people and after 30 years doing the same shift(3:30am-1:30pm) they tossed him to the nightshift and it totally has AGED my dad 10 years. Treated my dad like shit.

My dads been dealing with depression because he knows his pension is in jeopardy and the company is doing anything to try and find an excuse to fire him or give him a severance package.

My mom is telling my dad he needs to get a new job after he technically retires soon.

That is the definition of wage slavery and mental slavery. My dad would tell you that bud.

In the 1950's post WW2 every person basically made the same wage(except doctors/lawyers) and they were able to raise a family of 5+ have a house and only 1 person had to work full time. The value of the dollar since then cratered.

I worked blue collar jobs too bud. In fact from the age of 14-25 me and a friend managed to build a relatively large lawn maintenance business which we later ended up selling to a larger landscaping company.

We worked 8 months out of the year and easily 60-80 hours a week cutting grass only. We didn't pay a DIME in taxes. Got paid cash/check only and would always put less then 10k into the bank at once. Uncle Sam didn't know a thing. I was able to buy a car/condo outright and pay for my associates degree(which I never used) and then join a philosophical organization and traveled around the world from temple to temple and got to see and experience some amazing things.

Because I never paid taxes I was basically able to retire(stop working for going on 7-8 years now) because Uncle Sam didn't get 50% of my money he got ZERO. Now this year I'm restarting a lawn maintenance business with my godson(he's 10) and I will repeat the same process because it will be years before we have even 100$ clients and the amount of money will be minimal and go right under Uncle Sam and the IRS's nose.

The only reason I made the slavery comparison was because a friend of mine(African American) was joking how he'd rather be on the cotton field again because at least they'd pay for his housing/food/water/etc. and basically his standard of living would be better because he wouldn't be mentally stressed out of his mind. He works for Target corporate and makes 150k a year. Says he's a slave to the system all the time. Got an uncle whose a pipefitter in the union and he makes 250k. Calls himself a slave too.

Sorry if I hit a string buddy. My dad probably won't live to see his pension because they worked him like a dog for 35+ years. That bothers me bud.

edit: Almost every man I know who worked a blue collar job for that amount of time basically died right after they retired. Most didn't make it to the age of 65 or whatever age it is to start collecting social security.

Here the same story a few times a year. So and So a blue collar millionaire DEAD before he could even enjoy the wealth that took him a life time to save for.

edit2: Why would anyone fucking think that somehow our generations are going to be better off? The baby boomers were the last generation to have some opportunity to own their own home and so many other things.

This post was edited by SwamiVivekananda on Feb 1 2024 09:36am

I mean if you go to the worst areas in the states, you aren’t going to find any orthopedic surgeon to get it done either. You will wait an infinite amount of time or travel to a place where you can get it done

Were stuck though by province. I cant pack my bags and use Nova Scotia health care if I reside elsewhere. In am emergency, yes, but those other procedures, no.

For instance if you reside in the provience of Saskatchewan you're hooped. If you're in BC you're looking at 1/4th the wait time of Sask. But a Sask resident cant just go to BC And use BC Provincial Health Care for electives.

Ultimately, for those that do have the financial means its why retirement province is often dictated by not just family but access to health care.

This post was edited by SBD on Feb 1 2024 09:25am