Author: Steve Maughan
Date: 14:15:42 01/15/02
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Bo, >>So you're assuming fiscal harmonization as well, or at least some form of >>European Wide Tax. There is currently little tax redistribution via the EU. > >No, I am not assuming common taxes. I am assuming that members of the >communities will help each other in difficult times. Not only because we are >all nice people, but also because it is profitable for everyone. If it's in everyones interests then we don't need a Union to carry out the aid. The UK could give money to Sweden as could the USA if it's in their interest >There are, however, already *massive* redistributions of money to the >agricultural sector. These fundings could certainly be used better. CAP is a mess - it inflates the price of food across Europe. It is not a *massive* redistribution of wealth as it's less than 1% of GDP. >Funny, as it might be, I live in Sweden where we have some of the *highest* >taxes. Here people are scared that we will have to lower them. Go figure... I assume that the Swedish people don't actually want to pay more tax per-say - rather they want the welfare state. Well I'd be concerned if I were Swedish - the birth rate is 1.7 per woman so the population is ageing and declining. The people who have paid high taxes for the last thirty years are about to retire and look forward to a state pension that they deserve. Unfortunately, there will be not enough people of working age to generate the wealth and pay the taxes which form the pensions. This is mirrored across Europe - France, Germany, Italy and Belgium are similar. I guess we fundamentaly disagree and it probably boils donw to the trust or mistrust of central control. Here is probably not the place to rant on so this will be my last post in this thread. I'd be happy to discuss the issue by private email. Regards, Steve Maughan
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