Petrol and tax

[eddiesolo]

Si what have you done to yourself Please return to your normal self Laurie

Normal, define normal on this site

I did add a winky smiley however, and it was put tongue in cheek. If it was that bad then I am sure Ian would not live there, nowhere is perfect but sometimes the place offers more than just cash perks.

Si

[Alan 45]

I keep hearing the term ' free health care' thing is no mater what country that uses this term is being honest as the taxes, national insurance and duty pays for it so the only people who receive free healthcare are people on benefits that have never worked

So I can't see why they call it free !

[Guest]

Well said Richard. But how and I am intrigued how do they politically achieve that.Seems to be a fabulous goal to aim for. I can only think that it is gross selfishness which precludes that achievement out side Scandinavian countries.

Laurie

Laurie, I can only guess from my experience of Scandanavian colleagues that, as you suggest, they really do seem to me to have a better developed sense of social responsibility. They believe in the good of the country as a whole and are prepared to pay the taxes necessary to fund it. I have been convinced for some time that we do not pay enough income tax in the UK but hide it in all sorts of other things such as fuel, alcohol etc. This seems to be for no other reason than increasing income tax would be so unpopular that any government that attempted it would never get elected again.

Now quite why Scandanavians seem to have a higher level of social responsibility and those in the UK seem to be getting more and more selfish in thier outlooks and have no interest in the good of the community, country, colleagues etc. I really have no idea, but it really does seem to be that way. Maybe we follow the Americans a lot more closely, which seems to be extreemly depressing to see where that is going to take us.

An interesting point to note is that in my expereinces of living in Italy and Germany it seems that most families still believe in eating together in the evening around the same table. We seem to be trending far more towards the American model of everyone comes in and eats as and when they want and they go out again, never to share a conversation with the rest of the family. Whether you think that is relevent or not it seems to go hand in hand with the ever increasing numbers of single parent families, another institution driven by the American values of "What's in it for me".

[Guest]

Si I never realised how handsome you were and a astronaut as well I bet you have the girls flocking to your feet.

[Ian M]

An interesting point to note is that in my expereinces of living in Italy and Germany it seems that most families still believe in eating together in the evening around the same table.

An interesting point indeed. The place I work we have people from most of Europe and Asia. I get the impression that the further West people come from the bigger the family divide.

Scandinavia has a tradition that in Denmark is called "Hygge" there is no word for it in English but it is hanging out with family and friends. Just sitting chatting, or watch a film together, eat, or just relax and shoot the breeze. It cant be beaten.

As for going back to England... Might be an idea Si. Being an immigrant, I would be given a house and a car and could live on benefits the rest of my days. lol

Ian M

[Guest]

My family has always sat down for breakfast and for dinner. A strict rule.

We also on holiday in a caravan and boat always sat down for meals together. I say strict rule but only in the sense that we did it with out thinking. Sitting down the 6 of us was to me the most pleasurable thing that I could think of. Listening to the chatter of your 4 children was the high light of the day.

When we go to our children's families now for dinner we do the same the only difference is that the table is larger the numbers grow and the chat of a higher volume. You can not beat that.

Also add that 90% of the time Pauline and I sit down for dinner at a table.

Laurie

[colin m]

The UK isn't perfect .But I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

I had a job that took me around the world, and while some places might tempt me, yes, I think I agree Dave.

[yak face]

Cigarettes and Alcohol

champagne , supernova

[dave]

As a British expat living and working in Belgium, the quote below makes me want to cry. It's a good job the Beer is so good here.

"At the top end of the distribution we have Belgium where single people pay 43% of earnings in income tax and social security contributions (or national insurance), followed by Germany with 39.9%," says Maurice Nettley, head of tax statistics at the OECD."

[spanner570]

Just speaking in rough figures, does anyone know of another product were the tax is so much greater than the cost of the product ?I can't think of anything.

Colin M...

My wife!!!!

[dave]

I hope she's not reading this Ron.

[rickoshea52]

Er...why live there then?

Erm? Wall to wall beautiful blue eyed blond women would be a good enough reason for me.

[rickoshea52]

o_OWell the health service is free....but not dental, that you have to pay for. A crown can set you back £500'ish...

The roads are.... not bad., but we also pay a yearly "tax" for the honour of driving on them,,,

The education system here is like the UK under funded, over stretched and failing. lol

Cigarettes are cheaper here though, only £4 a pack! (oh there goes another 20p LOL)

a case of 30 bottles of pop cost more than beer due to taxes on sugar..Even if the soda's are 'sugar free'.

Here is a good one. NUTS. there is a special tax on nuts. between 40 - 60% of the price is tax. its an old tax from the war (I think) when nuts where a luxury item, like chocolate..

And in second place we have.........Denmark.

However Denmark is not the oil nation Norway is and does not have the "savings" that they do. last I heard there is over one million krone per person in Norway being saved for a rainy day...

But as you point out, I am here 'cause I like it here.

Ian M

Having used the roads in DK, granted only between CPH and the airport, I thought they were better than the UK. What's also better is the railway system and not too expensive from memory.

But what freaks you out as an outsider is the price of beer and eating out. The only time I ever got nickel & dimed on my expenses was for a trip to CPH and a meal for four cost nearly £300. Nice meal though, I had crocodile steak.

[Alan 45]

I don't moan about taxes or the cost of fuel I moan about the price of beer !

Oil is taken from a country via a ship and is either refined on that ship or goes to a refinery here then it is driven all around the country to various filling stations for us to use and all for just over a £

Beer is made in a distillery with all the ingredients in abundance but costs upto 3 times as much

It don't figure ?

[Ian M]

£300!! Where did you eat? D'anglitare!

Having said that proper restaurant's are a bit pricey. 'Ordinary ones are a bit better though, as they are in the UK . Generally the roads are good but those that are bad are Bad.

I would like to say well done for leaving political statements out of this! As we all know this is not the place.