Code:
Country Tax revenue as percentage of GDP (OECD)
Denmark 48.9
Sweden 48.2
Belgium 44.4
France 43.6
Norway 43.4
Italy 43.3
Finland 43.0
Austria 41.9
Iceland 41.4
Hungary 39.3
Netherlands 38.0
Spain 37.2
Luxembourg 36.9
Portugal 36.6
United Kingdom 36.6
Czech Republic 36.4
Germany 36.2
New Zealand 36.0
OECD (average) 36.0
Poland 33.5
Canada 33.3
Ireland 32.2
Greece 31.3
Australia 30.6
Slovakia 29.8
Switzerland 29.7
Korea, South 26.7
United States (all lvls) 28.3
Japan 27.9
Turkey 23.7
Mexico 20.5
I don't know. Is it possible that the U.S. is
undertaxed? I think many problems would be solved if 1) they brought the tax revenue as a % of GDP up to the OECD average (another 8 or so points), or 2) reduce the
military expenditures as a percentage of GDP (2008) (4.3%) to levels of that of, say, Japan (0.9%), Turkey (2.2%), or Mexico (0.5%). But that would mean cutting it in half
at least. Or doubling GDP, whatever....
Maybe they could use the military money to develop better efficiencies in the health care system. You know, practical crossovers of technology much like the space program to the military?
It's too bad that the Tea Party seems to want to turn a blind eye to how much the military is costing them. Well, I don't recall them being too concerned anyway. They're more afraid of the "socialist" health care, and not so much concerned about the runaway militarism. How long have the effects of the military industrial complex been in effect now? Are you Americans getting a good bang for your buck?
Of course, you can't put a price on security. It just seems too bad that you have to go broke to pull it off.
Enjoy your $700-billion monster. I hope it doesn't wreck things too much abroad and at home.