German business leaders warn of crisis (HOLD MEIN BIER, GOTTERDAMMERUNG)

The Financial Times ^ | December 16, 2002 | Haig Simonian

[Righty1]

The former eastern Germany puts a much bigger strain on the economy than the Turks. The Turks and Bulgarians are better workers than the average kraut (hold mein job vile I vacation for 3 months).

[expatpat]

The Euro-socialists (and those in the US) should remember JFK's speech when he lowered the rate in the US from 90% to 70%:

"The final and best means of strengthening demand among consumers and business is to reduce the burden on private income and the deterrence to private initiative which are imposed by our present tax system. It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low – and the soundest way to raise revenues in the long run is to cut rates now".

[oldtimer]

Read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a Islamic Muslim living in Germany who is getting by at $2500 a month in welfare, and spends his time in the Mosque. He has absolutely no interest in working.

Taxes in Germany run like 60% on income over $80K, and there is the VAT at 16%?.

We have our own problems. Paying apartment rents up to $2K a month (or more?) plus the usual medicaid, food stamps.

Sound familier.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #17

Any country with high tax rates also has a lot of holes in its enforcement. Thus politicians always make a hay out of passing another tax increase to help little people while the tax is not collected as much as it should have if the tax law is fully followed. Everybody cheats.

If a law becomes too unreasonable, nobody really obeys it. Breaking a law become normal.