Everyone needs to simply go to a pharmacy or a doctor's office outside the US one time. If everybody did that, the US Healthcare system would be doused with gasoline, lit on fire, and be burned like the trash that it is.
Had a similar experience in the country everyone hates right now including the CT scan (US made machine). If they can do it with a 13% flat tax, where the actual hell is our tax money going?
If you are talking about Russia, the taxes are so hidden, paid by the corporations, and Gov is taking oil money https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Russia, compare to Kuwait where people getting pensions from exporting oil. Not saying Russia is better or worse, just different ways of grabbing money from common folks, and making them feel better.
It was always such a common thing, when Russians go to Europe on vacation - and find how clean and nice everything else is - they say "well we pay 13% of taxes, not 50%", which makes every Russian feel so much better.
Hidden? There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Btw, the US produces more energy than Russia as a percentage of its economy. And some of those Arab oil monarchs have zero income tax.
Do people have to pay when they call the police? Do people avoid reporting a crime because it's too costly? So people have to do fundraising because they can't afford the police to investigate a crime that happened to them?
That's what the US healthcare looks like from outside. "Paying for calling the police? Don't be stupid, dear!" Yes, exactly.
Not to diminish your good analogy but lots of crimes aren't reported due to the risk police pose to the reporter (not necessarily financial risks though those are also present in the US police system, see civil forfeiture)
Everyone needs to simply go to a pharmacy or a doctor's office outside the US one time. If everybody did that, the US Healthcare system would be doused with gasoline, lit on fire, and be burned like the trash that it is.
Had a similar experience in the country everyone hates right now including the CT scan (US made machine). If they can do it with a 13% flat tax, where the actual hell is our tax money going?
If you are talking about Russia, the taxes are so hidden, paid by the corporations, and Gov is taking oil money https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Russia, compare to Kuwait where people getting pensions from exporting oil. Not saying Russia is better or worse, just different ways of grabbing money from common folks, and making them feel better. It was always such a common thing, when Russians go to Europe on vacation - and find how clean and nice everything else is - they say "well we pay 13% of taxes, not 50%", which makes every Russian feel so much better.
Hidden? There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Btw, the US produces more energy than Russia as a percentage of its economy. And some of those Arab oil monarchs have zero income tax.
Mostly to social security (21%), net interest (14%), and healthcare / insurance (27% combined):
https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/feder...
Said country has 23% going to pensions, so about the same. Yet still has free basic healthcare and higher education (if you test in).
> in the country everyone hates right now
You’re going to have to narrow this down quite a bit.
what's the country everyone hates right now?
I asked google 'what country has a flat tax of 13%' and it said bolivia and russia. Guessing they meant russia.
Do people have to pay when they call the police? Do people avoid reporting a crime because it's too costly? So people have to do fundraising because they can't afford the police to investigate a crime that happened to them?
That's what the US healthcare looks like from outside. "Paying for calling the police? Don't be stupid, dear!" Yes, exactly.
Not to diminish your good analogy but lots of crimes aren't reported due to the risk police pose to the reporter (not necessarily financial risks though those are also present in the US police system, see civil forfeiture)
https://archive.ph/2025.06.30-215546/https://www.washingtonp...
This is fairly normal in lots of countries around the world.