It depends on which province you're in. In Alberta it's 7% total. In Ontrario I think it's 15% (PST + GST). In Newfoundland it's higher. How much do we pay for medical insurance? Everywhere but Alberta it's nada, 0, free with citizenship. In Alberta it's about $400 per year.
Hey Macbeth! I’ve been on the wagon. Had to back away for a while just to prove to myself I could. I’ve been busy too. How are things with you? Did you get to the Stones gig? I’ll have a look at your thread in a little bit, and I look forward to it. Lots of interesting stuff happening in the world these days and you’ve always got an interesting take.
Are you talking sales tax or income tax? In Montreal we were paying around 15% in total sales taxes for goods and services. I am curious as to how much folks generally pay in federal income tax. As an example, how much is taken out of someone who makes $100,000 (canadian dollars) per year?
Sorry. Brain cramp. I missed the "income tax" some how. Federal income tax varies with income and there is usually a small provincial flat tax as well (Quebec has a the highest provincial tax). It ranges from almost nothing to about 55%. http://www.ey.com/GLOBAL/content.nsf/Canada/Tax_-_Calculators_-_Personal_Tax And you’re in Montreal? Do you live there or are you visiting? Cool place. I could hang out in Old Montreal for days.
What I said about Canada was true. They do enjoy the protection of our armed forces while they devote most of their money to building a socialist utopia. That's not an insult when it is the truth. Second of, Grizzled, I don't know where you get off calling me uneducated. You're the one who deals in stereotypes about the state of my birth. You didn't hear me make an insulting references about Canadians derived from stereotypes, so I ask the same courtesy from you. And Macbeth, we are the best in every area. America is the only country that matters. Take away, for example, Canada from the global economy and there is some, but not a great effect. Take us out and the whole world collapses upon itself economically. They are all jealous of our wealth and power. They are pissed off (especially the French) that they had to rely on us to save them from every major threat, from the Kaiser to Hitler to the Communists. When your country is as great as ours and you've served that country in uniform, you can talk all the smack you want to dish out.
Grizzled We took a vacation to Montreal from 07/26 - 07/31. We stayed downtown and did a lot of sightseeing (and a ton of walking). It is a really nice city. I like the fact that most everyone speaks fluent French and can change over to English with no problems. The peple also don't hold it against you if you don't speak French (everytime I try out my high school French, I end up ordering something I didn't intend to). I was aware of the "free" medical, but was curious as to how much overall taxation there was. As I understand things, I should also be able to recoup the GST I paid at the hotel.
I went to Niagara Falls a few weeks ago to escape a business trip in Detroit. Did you notice an obsession with their ketchup up there?
We did not notice a ketchup obsession. We did eat Chinese food a couple of times and I don't think they allow ketchup in their restaurants. In Montreal there was an interesting sounding dish named potinne (sp?). It is essentially french fries, covered with some sort of gravy and chunks of cheese. I was going to try it but opted for a more "known" dish.
1) You described Canada as " a socialist nanny state." You may even believe that to be true. Grizzled may believe that Alabama mirrors the backwoods portrayal of Deliverence, although I doubt it, he's way too smart for that. Neither of these are facts, and just because you agree with the one of them that's not about you doesn't make it less of an insult, or more of a fact. 2) The US is best in every area? Wow. Some people...You do realize that on the annual studies on the best places to live the US always falls short of several other countries, Canada included, right? The US is the best when it comes to GNP and military might. It is probably the best in terms of progressive technology development, although public access to same often plags behind several other nations in some areas. Now if money and military might are every area to you, then fine, be happy. But there are other areas...like crime...pollution...sanitation...education...environment...multiculturalism...culture...civil liberties...etc. etc. where the US falls well short of several nations. Some of those areas just might matter to some people almost as much as ( gasp!) their GNP. 3) "They are all jealous of our wealth and power?" Seriously, are you trying to be a stereotype? 4) " They are pissed off (especially the French) that they had to rely on us to save them from every major threat, from the Kaiser to Hitler to the Communists. When your country is as great as ours and you've served that country in uniform, you can talk all the smack you want to dish out." A few salient facts... * The French did save the US in uniform...a little diddie I like to call the Amercian Revolution. * We didn't enter WWII to save Europe...in fact we didn't enter at all until Germany declared war on us, and then it was a trifle more convenient to fight the enemy on French soil, at French expense, then to wait and fight them here, non? We actually backed out of a few treaties to avoid having to fight WWII before we had no choice...unlike, say, the Canadians you scoff at, who were in way longer, had a much higher enlistment rate, muc higher casualty rate, and were given a much greater relative proportional responsibility than the US. * We didn't save Europe in WWII...we played a part, but the bulk of the credit goes first to the USSR, who accounted for over three quarters of Nazi casualties, and suffered over the same number themselves, and the British, who were in it alone for years before the USSR, and eventually the US got involved. Without the US it is arguable that the USSR might pull it off, some think it was inevtiable. Without Britain it's over in 1939. Without the USSR it's over in 1940. * The position that we saved Europe from the Kaiser is one I would absolutely love to hear you explain. * The position that we saved Europe from Communism is more supportable, although still debatable. For one thing many Europeans wanted Communism, so are you suggesting we saved them from themselves. Secondly the antagonistic nature of the Cold War is a direct reflection of the relations between the USSR and the US, and the path communism might have taken without our opposition to it is highly speculative. And third, we saved them, if at all, for our own good, not theirs. Not exactly something that earns us undying devotion.
The taxes are high, but not as bad as you think. Someone earning under $60 K US (or about $85 K cdn) probably pays less tax (if you include the equivalent payroll taxes) than someone in the higher taxed US states (NY, Califorinia, etc). Taxes and payroll deductions on $100 k cdn (approx $70K US) would be about $30,000 cdn. ($21,000 US) This generally includes your medical, employment insurance (which includes maternity benefits for a year) and your equivalent to social security). A typical $100,000 earner would put $15,000 in his pension plan to reduce his tax bill by $6,000. After 100,000 cdn, you are taxed at about 40 to 45% (quebec may be higher) so it gets significantly more expensive.
Bobrek: You should have tried the poutine. You can actually hear your arteries harden. Some of you should read some of these replies and substitute "LA Lakers" for "America" and you'll see why the US gets a bad rep.
What I said about Canada was true. No, it isn't. They do enjoy the protection of our armed forces ... There is some truth to this. ...while they devote most of their money to building a socialist utopia. This is obviously and laughably untrue. Just for fun’s sake, how do you define “socialist utopia”? Second of, Grizzled, I don't know where you get off calling me uneducated. You're the one who deals in stereotypes about the state of my birth. You didn't hear me make an insulting references about Canadians derived from stereotypes, so I ask the same courtesy from you. You don't consider calling Canada a "socialist utopia" an uneducated stereotype?! It quite obviously is. And Macbeth, we are the best in every area. America is the only country that matters. If you understanding of the world and ability to analyse is no more sophisticated than this then there really isn’t going to be much point in talking to you. America does a lot of things very well, but it also has many problems and areas where it struggles. If you have no understanding of these differences then you’re only going to be a one note horn, and pointless and not very interesting to talk to.
What I want to know is why is it okay for Canadians to feel superior to us but if a person from the U.S. feels superior to Canadadians it's a "myiopic self centred attitude"? And don't get me started on the ethno-centricity of the French! Also, why are so many Americans so quick to agree with Canadians and Europeans when they express superiority over the U.S.? Just curious...
Superior? Language like that is not helpful, I think. It’s ok for you or us to prefer our own countries, but I think we should both acknowledge that there are aspects of our countries and societies that work well, and aspects that don’t work well. If either one of us just says “we’re superior” then that person’s mind is closed and they won’t be able to learn anything. I believe that there are things that we all can learn from each other, but we have to be prepared to look, listen and think objectively to do so.
