Why do we in the US complain about taxes so much?

Question

We whine and whine about high taxes, but there's countries in Western Europe and Scandinavia that have way higher taxes than us and they don't complain so much about it. Swedes pay a lot of taxes and they are doing pretty good. It's one of the most developed countries in the world and they have way fewer problems than us.

Answer 1

Just because other countries pay more in taxes does not justify why we should pay more. America is great not because of big government, but because of the people who do all the work, get paid then pay the d**n government its cut out of our paychecks.

It’s the people who make our country great and not the political hacks in Washington. The free market thrives on lower taxes, not on increased taxes. Even the government profits more when the economy is doing well, because of increased profits, they take in more taxes, and not the other way around.

Answer 2

The funny thing is that many of those who complain the most get their income tax back at year's end.

Answer 3

Any rational person understands that taxes are necessary to pay for roads and sewers.

But income taxes are NOT necessary, and in fact amount to slave labor for the very government we are supposed to own. "You work for us three hours a day, or you go to jail."

Land of the free, right?

Answer 4

The high taxes these other countries pay is put towards school systems that are superior to ours and health care.  I don't whine to much about paying a high tax until I'm in line at the supermarket or store like Wal-mart and see people in name brand clothes, purses, on a cell phone, paying for non-necessities with a welfare card.  

Answer 5

When a person complains about taxes, no one tells them to be quiet.

Answer 6

I guess you never took an American history class to understand Americans distaste for taxes.

This country was founded and made great by classical liberalism ideology, which has a close relationship between individual liberty and private property,

America thrived off of this ideology and was insulated from European Marxism and Socialism due to the Atlantic Ocean.  Scandinavia was not, and was influenced by Russian ideology for a long time.  It seems to work for them now since they are a relatively insular country with an homogeneous culture.  

But this was not always the case.  One has to remember that Scandinavia and Iceland once split and gave thanks to anarchic Iceland which prospered under individual liberty and the right to own private property.

Answer 7

Maybe they don't agree with the way they are spent, or feel that there's not much to show for them.

They could be complaining about the non-Federal Federal Reserve, which has been robbing the American people for many years now.

Answer 8

They have way fewer people living there as well.

We complain about taxes because everyone wants to keep what they work hard for.

Answer 9

Yeah, but they only pay higher taxes because their governments are known for effectively using the money their public gives them.

Unlike the U.S and England, which have far stricter rules on how tax money is used.

The next time someone gets a crazy idea to make an inflatable bowling pin the size of a skyscraper, make sure you support that idea.

Creativity should never be alienated, no matter how insane (bar genocide and human rights abuse).

edit: that's an interesting idea actually - Maximus Sporting.

Everything is at least 10 times bigger.

Answer 10

I'm happy for you. You must have so much money, that you don't have to worry about how much you're paying in taxes.