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Quoted: *Reads all this nonsense about "free healthcare". Puts down his coffee and cracks nuckles* It isn't free. It is in fact, very very expensive. I'm European. Hell, I'm Belgian, we practically invented Europe. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway. I'm going to fuck up this thread, by turning it around. What could us Europeans learn from Americans; -The road to success is an individual thing. It's up to you. If you want to succeed, you can have it all. But you have to want it, and you have to work for it. -The Social System is sucking us dry. In Belgium (an extreme case, I know) we pay 40,2% tax on our wages. After tax, my accountant wife makes 1600EUR or 1900USD. I take home 2200EUR or 2700USD as a SCNO. If you don't work for whatever reason, you have a guaranteed minimum wage of 1200EUR or 1400USD. That is BEFORE benefits, social security or assistance, or unemployment pay. On everything else, we pay a VAT of 21%. Twenty. One. Percent. Yeah our healthcare is free. But we pay for it. Also, European open border policy is a deathsentence. Asylumseekers set one foot on our soil and they're in. Free healthcare. Free housing. Free utilities. Free this. Free that. Meanwhile, a nursing home is quickly becoming unpayable for retirees that worked all their life, and paid their taxes. -Our military is a joke. As NATO member we pledge to spend 2% of our GDP on Defence. We are required to do so. We consistently fail to meet this obligation. One day we will pay the price for this. And it's not going to be pretty. https://i.ibb.co/kyB2jZF/slide2-v3.jpg To you all. No matter how shit your personal situation is, no matter how bad US politics get, remember this. You have freedom. Real freedom. You might not think you do, you can even say it's under attack. But you still have it. Don't change, don't try to emulate Europe. The world needs a balancing factor, and you're it. Still. EDIT; but yeah, eat less, eat more healthy, and exercise more. Not a month goes by without me spending an evening researching how I could make a move to America. If the stars ever align, I'd make that move in a heartbeat. View Quote act accordingly. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Many EU countries treat firearm mufflers as inexpensive, unregulated over the counter safety accessories. That is really just Finland and France, and there are some regulations on them. You can get them in Norway and even the UK if I am not mistaken. For hunting season you must register your hunting rifles and officially sight them in with or without a suppressor in Norway. If you sight it in officially with the suppressor on, you must use it during that season. Or vice versa. It is part of the season registration process (sighting in your rifle). Or that is how someone explained it to me. That season they were using a suppressed bolt action. |
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Quoted: I don't disagree that that's a very large part of crime here. But when some white kid shoots up his school and it turns out he spent the last decade in his room pumped full of mind altering pharmaceuticals watching Internet porn and spending hours playing realistic murder simulators...that kind of environment is not exactly promoting well adjusted individuals out into society. View Quote AND... Wheres Dad ? |
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Just heard second hand from a friend that UK income taxes are much simpler and predictable. Rather than a monstrous multi form calculation, the exact amount owed is withheld and that is that. No refunds, no end of year payment.
Not arguing for their rates (no idea) or VAT, but if we have an income tax it should be that freakin simple. The whole mess of deductions, exemptions, credits, variable rates is pure corruption. Ideally I would rather have a flat sales tax. You see it every time you spend so not as likely to vote to raise it. But yeah, an income tax that is so straightforward it can be withheld at paycheck time accurately is a start. |
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Quoted: I'd take American freedom over European freedom anyday. Europe is the last old lady holding out on a street that's taken over by thugs. The house has no locks. She is not allowed locks from her landlords. She hasn't got kids, but she pays for the healthcare and social security of all her neighbours on the block, and their numerous kids. This shit is going down... https://i.ibb.co/QcL6g1M/i9F9hgs.jpg BTW this was today in Lige, about 50km from where I live. https://i.ibb.co/ryvGJLQ/1.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: mericans haven't had real freedom for many years, brosef. act accordingly. I'd take American freedom over European freedom anyday. Europe is the last old lady holding out on a street that's taken over by thugs. The house has no locks. She is not allowed locks from her landlords. She hasn't got kids, but she pays for the healthcare and social security of all her neighbours on the block, and their numerous kids. This shit is going down... https://i.ibb.co/QcL6g1M/i9F9hgs.jpg BTW this was today in Lige, about 50km from where I live. https://i.ibb.co/ryvGJLQ/1.jpg But like I said earlier, America is kind of what you make of it. If you want to live away from that sort of thing...you can. |
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I take about 4-5 week long or longer vacations a year. This year I am taking a month off to go to Europe. Leaving for Mexico for a week next week. Going to Hawaii in July. Visiting my NY family in the fall. Camping for a few weeks in the fall as well.
You got to plan, and just do it. No one is irreplaceable at work, just delegate, and enjoy life while you can. |
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Quoted: I take about 4-5 week long or longer vacations a year. This year I am taking a month off to go to Europe. Leaving for Mexico for a week next week. Going to Hawaii in July. Visiting my NY family in the fall. Camping for a few weeks in the fall as well. You got to plan, and just do it. No one is irreplaceable at work, just delegate, and enjoy life while you can. View Quote |
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Quoted: Kids in motorsports. They have many, many classes of kids who race in motorsports starting out very young, with our insanely sue happy culture you would never seena 7yo on a minibike at the track, but its not uncommon in Europe or the UK. Attitude towards alcohol. With a drinking age of 16, its much wiser, allowing parents to teach their kids how to handle alcohol. Here, with a age of 21, kids drink without parental supervision, getting into more trouble, and in my dumb ass state, if you give someone under the age of 21 any alcohol its a felony. All of the sudden we expect at the age of 21 that kids should know how to control their drinking... Stupid. View Quote a felony, that's f'ed up. I used to drink with my parents at a restaurant when I was 12 in texas. |
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Quoted: I refuse to believe that, because that would be the end of the world. View Quote Our capitol is behind a military presence, our boarders are wide open and the people in power make decissions against our own self interests, while social pressure is being used to destroy all history and culture. We are in a war we dont know how to fight. |
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Quoted: I refuse to believe that, because that would be the end of the world. View Quote I still believe that we are one of the freest countries in the world, but that can change very rapidly. I've enjoyed visiting almost everywhere I've been in Europe (except Paris), but I wouldn't trade any of it for the privilege of being an American. |
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Quoted: Our newly elected president and his neo-socialist "democrat" party members are doing their best to try and emulate the European welfare/universal healthcare model via astronomical spending, mass illegal immigration, and almost certain dramatic tax increases on the horizon. I still believe that we are one of the freest countries in the world, but that can change very rapidly. I've enjoyed visiting almost everywhere I've been in Europe (except Paris), but I wouldn't trade any of it for the privilege of being an American. View Quote I would trade everything about American freedoms to be young and back with the girl I met clubbing in Prague. We spent 3 days just drinking and hanging out in a beautiful city. I would trade shooting and pay high taxes to go back to all the filthy things we did in a hostel |
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Quoted: Pretty much. We call it the PAYE system in the UK. PAYE is Pay As You Earn. If you know your salary you can work put your take home pay using the following tax brackets which makes it easier. The Tax is desuxted abs paid by the employer before you receive your salary. Basically means that you know what money you will take from month (give or take a few quid) with no surprises at the end. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/131050/0A88E205-0998-4A13-B9C2-7DCDA4C6CC63-1864042.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Just heard second hand from a friend that UK income taxes are much simpler and predictable. Rather than a monstrous multi form calculation, the exact amount owed is withheld and that is that. No refunds, no end of year payment. Not arguing for their rates (no idea) or VAT, but if we have an income tax it should be that freakin simple. The whole mess of deductions, exemptions, credits, variable rates is pure corruption. Ideally I would rather have a flat sales tax. You see it every time you spend so not as likely to vote to raise it. But yeah, an income tax that is so straightforward it can be withheld at paycheck time accurately is a start. Pretty much. We call it the PAYE system in the UK. PAYE is Pay As You Earn. If you know your salary you can work put your take home pay using the following tax brackets which makes it easier. The Tax is desuxted abs paid by the employer before you receive your salary. Basically means that you know what money you will take from month (give or take a few quid) with no surprises at the end. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/131050/0A88E205-0998-4A13-B9C2-7DCDA4C6CC63-1864042.jpg The US system is complicated (or can be complicated) in that there are myriad ways to reduce your taxable income. And there are so many of them, and they are so variable, that it's not really possible to precisely predict what your taxable income will be a year in advance. But for a regular employee who gets a regular paycheck on a regular schedule (most people), it's actually pretty simple. In actual practice. Having said that, be prepared for an onslaught of "Yeah, but..." responses. Not a single member of this website is average, and every last one of us has complicated tax situations not shared by normal Americans. You'll see. |
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hmmmm
I live in Europe part of the year..... and I can't find one thing...other than everything taste amazing here. Otherwise.. I miss America .... what do I miss.. the freedom.....that's it. Don't need to answer to anyone. Now..if they would do a flat tax in Hungary and if I could own machine guns.. I would die here just peacefully and fine. |
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Quoted: hmmmm I live in Europe part of the year..... and I can't find one thing...other than everything taste amazing here. Otherwise.. I miss America .... what do I miss.. the freedom.....that's it. Don't need to answer to anyone. Now..if they would do a flat tax in Hungary and if I could own machine guns.. I would die here just peacefully and fine. View Quote |
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Quoted: Do you miss all the homeless and demented schools? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: hmmmm I live in Europe part of the year..... and I can't find one thing...other than everything taste amazing here. Otherwise.. I miss America .... what do I miss.. the freedom.....that's it. Don't need to answer to anyone. Now..if they would do a flat tax in Hungary and if I could own machine guns.. I would die here just peacefully and fine. America is what you make of it... |
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Quoted: I'm making tracks from my town. I put my condo up for sale. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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Quoted: Every Sunday mom would make a whole load of these. I'm talking like 50+. They wouldn't last long https://i.ibb.co/zmfZsyR/Wafel.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I'm a fan of y'alls waffles. Every Sunday mom would make a whole load of these. I'm talking like 50+. They wouldn't last long https://i.ibb.co/zmfZsyR/Wafel.jpg |
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Red Light Districts. Putting all your vice in a small area and filling it with police is genius. Much better than our constant Wars on _____ policy.
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Quoted: I have learned through age and time that they are probably healthier for it, both mentally and physically. I am having big thoughts on retiring at 52, grabbing my pension, letting my personal retirement accounts grow, and working just a couple days a week for pocket money. Work has changed so much for the worse and I can afford to go and maintain my lifestyle, I don't see the advantage of the continued pressing my face to the grindstone. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Whatta got? I realize "Europeans" is a pretty broad term. My call is "Holiday". IMO many of them know how to balance life and work. The ones I work with routinely disappear for one or two weeks at various times throughout the year. Their attitude seems to be that either their business colleagues can step in in their absence, or it can jolly well wait until they return. I rarely work with a European professional that has the "squirrel on crack" mindset that so many US professionals do. Not advocating being lazy, but damn, IMO we could learn a thing or two from them about this. I have learned through age and time that they are probably healthier for it, both mentally and physically. I am having big thoughts on retiring at 52, grabbing my pension, letting my personal retirement accounts grow, and working just a couple days a week for pocket money. Work has changed so much for the worse and I can afford to go and maintain my lifestyle, I don't see the advantage of the continued pressing my face to the grindstone. I'll make enough to live comfortably on just my pension. I'll leave most of my money in the TSP, and use minimal withdrawals for travel and fun. With conservative projections, I should double my money in that account even with withdrawals, in about 10 years. I have my FFL for pocket money. I don't plan to have regular hours, just by appointments and occasional transfers. I'm with you, there is no reason to stay past first retirement eligibility, unless you have some overarching financial issue, like a kid starting college, or you just got divorced and gave your ex all your retirement money. A great paper written on the topic is entitled "I can't afford to retire" by Chris Barfield. It's tailor written for federal LEOs but the principal applies universally. If you continue to work after you're eligible, you're actually only working for the difference in what you're making vs. what you'd be receiving to sit at home and drink beer, retired. For most of us, it's close to minimum wage. Not doing this job for minimum wage. |
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You do them best.
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Pilsner beer. A country full of hipster IPA's and not one decent pilsner.
We're getting better at ciders. Otherwise, fuck the socialist/monarchist/fascists. Europe would still be rubble if we hadn't repeatedly stepped in to settle European wars and then rebuild them. |
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Quoted: Our subway stations are also superior. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/135411/slutstation_jpg-1863782.JPG View Quote I gotta give it to the Swede, their Slut Stations can be nice. But, Danish stores often offer a Slut Spurt! |
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4). They do a job like gang busters! I found one German cockroach in the rented apartment and my fiance called the owner the next day. The day after that here comes a security guard, two or three workers, and the bugman. All in uniform and all took off their shoes at the door. View Quote Damn. They really don't like Germans there, do they? |
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Quoted: Pilsner beer. A country full of hipster IPA's and not one decent pilsner. We're getting better at ciders. Otherwise, fuck the socialist/monarchist/fascists. Europe would still be rubble if we hadn't repeatedly stepped in to settle European wars and then rebuild them. View Quote |
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Little diesel cars, just none of that $7 gallon fuel nonsense
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Quoted: Don't have a real military and make us pay for all of it. View Quote Guess who the smart player is in that game? Work/life balance is critical. American management has figured out that it can get away with simply paying lip service to the notion without actually enabling/allowing employees to actually practice & benefit from it. Word salad lip service all the work/life things while demanding double plus good time OTJ. If nothing else, perpetually operating in crunch mode enables management to get by without doing much in the way of improving work efficiency. Just sit in meetings all day long & throw hours at the productivity aspect. That's about all I ever see it come down to. It's the usual 1-trick pony show: cut labor & pile hours. It's true, time = money. The catch is, unless the extra time investment at work yields the kind of profit that will significantly (subjective) shorten the time to retirement (via increased income &/or ROI) vis a vis taxes (Which people tend to forget about), then you're burning time, which is irreplaceable. The the mentality is, if you're healthy, it's because you're not working hard enough & need more work. I seen it. The metric epitome for determining the maximum productivity extraction is you crawling home in tears. Every day. I like to emphasize savings rate & personal health (mental & physical). How much are you actually saving vs spending? Are you doing anything else besides just working? You can't stay in shape at OTJ. They aren't paying you to be healthy, & letting yourself go long term for work is setting up your own personal sabotage in the long run. The downhill medical/physical road is a 1-way trip into the weeds that money can't money can't buy you out of. |
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Quoted: *Reads all this nonsense about "free healthcare". Puts down his coffee and cracks nuckles* It isn't free. It is in fact, very very expensive. I'm European. Hell, I'm Belgian, we practically invented Europe. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway. I'm going to fuck up this thread, by turning it around. What could us Europeans learn from Americans; -The road to success is an individual thing. It's up to you. If you want to succeed, you can have it all. But you have to want it, and you have to work for it. -The Social System is sucking us dry. In Belgium (an extreme case, I know) we pay 40,2% tax on our wages. After tax, my accountant wife makes 1600EUR or 1900USD. I take home 2200EUR or 2700USD as a SCNO. If you don't work for whatever reason, you have a guaranteed minimum wage of 1200EUR or 1400USD. That is BEFORE benefits, social security or assistance, or unemployment pay. On everything else, we pay a VAT of 21%. Twenty. One. Percent. Yeah our healthcare is free. But we pay for it. Also, European open border policy is a deathsentence. Asylumseekers set one foot on our soil and they're in. Free healthcare. Free housing. Free utilities. Free this. Free that. Meanwhile, a nursing home is quickly becoming unpayable for retirees that worked all their life, and paid their taxes. -Our military is a joke. As NATO member we pledge to spend 2% of our GDP on Defence. We are required to do so. We consistently fail to meet this obligation. One day we will pay the price for this. And it's not going to be pretty. https://i.ibb.co/kyB2jZF/slide2-v3.jpg To you all. No matter how shit your personal situation is, no matter how bad US politics get, remember this. You have freedom. Real freedom. You might not think you do, you can even say it's under attack. But you still have it. Don't change, don't try to emulate Europe. The world needs a balancing factor, and you're it. Still. EDIT; but yeah, eat less, eat more healthy, and exercise more. Not a month goes by without me spending an evening researching how I could make a move to America. If the stars ever align, I'd make that move in a heartbeat. View Quote Damn. As much as my country pisses me off sometimes, things like your post remind me to be thankful. I hope you get here. You sound like you'd make a damn fine American. |
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Quoted: There are no homeless people in my city (that I've ever seen) and the schools are great. America is what you make of it... View Quote You are 100% spot on with your posts in this thread. A lot of people are overdramatic and catastrophizers. They could live in Mayberry and they still think all of the US is what they see in news articles posted ARFCOM and what's on Fox News. Evem though they know better, they still say the entire country is one big Los Angeles or NYC. I can't even imagine what their blood pressure numbers must be. |
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Using Gas engines in a full size pickup truck, is just retarded when you have Diesels available. Even small European cars have Diesel options.
Stop eating so much Macaroni & Cheese, that shit's disgusting. Don't be so cheap with your money: Americans usually make more but are more scared to spend it and they buy low quality junk. When doing blue-collar work, wear overalls or coveralls, preferable with reflective tape on them. English Joke: European tourists are at a Florida eco-tourist trap & American guide says these American Gators & Australian Crocs look the same but are different. Englishman asks, "How can you tell the difference, is it because the American ones just lay around & do nothing?". |
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LOL Europeans are smart because they don’t daily drive a diesel dually.
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Quoted: Whatta got? I realize "Europeans" is a pretty broad term. My call is "Holiday". IMO many of them know how to balance life and work. The ones I work with routinely disappear for one or two weeks at various times throughout the year. Their attitude seems to be that either their business colleagues can step in in their absence, or it can jolly well wait until they return. I rarely work with a European professional that has the "squirrel on crack" mindset that so many US professionals do. Not advocating being lazy, but damn, IMO we could learn a thing or two from them about this. View Quote |
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