I have a friend that recieved a raise that pushed him into the next tax bracket requiring him to pay a larger percentage. He went into his managers office and argued that the net effect is that it was no raise at all. He was told in that that is not a concern of the company.
I told him to quit, become an independent, incorporate himself, work from home and write off the toilet paper he uses during work hours. heh...it's probably a good thing he didn't listen to me, cause he was promoted again and is now VP.
i don't have a huge issue with taxes esp, as you mention, when you compare to other countries...but, it it is disheartening to see such a large percentage of what you earn go back to the gov't which historically, has not been the most fiscally responsible amongst us and which sometimes spend on things you do not necessarily agree with, but that has been how it has been forever and may be a necessary evil. Actually, one could argue the consequences of letting individuals decide how their tax monies are spent may be even more evil...if individuals were to decide how their tax monies are spent, then we would have more of a darwinistic type of system. However, in this type of system, what's best for a nation or society would probably not prevail if you believe that the world is comprised of few leaders, and more followers. Individuals will vote to ease their pains, rather than look at the broader picture and what may be best for survival of the larger populace.
anyway, that might have digressed a bit from the core of what you all were talking about...
AI
