Flameduck,
No offense mate but your off your rocker.
Petrol in Europe is more expensive; but not because people are willing to pay high prices for petrol (and thus generate profit for a company) but because they are convinced that the tax component of the cost of a liter of petrol is a justifiable social expense (and thus provide money for social use).
Theres a difference there. Fact is that in most of Europe the majority cost of a liter of fuel is taxes, and people accept THAT they do not necessarily accept a higher price of the fuel itself.
Products and services cost much more in Europe than in the US because most European nations subscribe to some sort of social welfare program which most people think is a good thing. Europeans have universal health care, most Europeans do not have to pay for university, unemployment insurance, guaranteed vacation times, parental leave, on and on, these programs cost money, money that citizens pay with direct taxes and indirect taxes, which leads to higher end user costs.
The US has practically none of those social programs or at most very limited (relatively speaking) versions. Which grants them greater disposable income, which increases competition for that income which drives down prices.
We have the same basic system in Europe but on top of if is the social responsibility tax which adds to the price of everything and thus decreases disposable income which retards the amount of product actually sold.
-Gooney
No offense mate but your off your rocker.
Petrol in Europe is more expensive; but not because people are willing to pay high prices for petrol (and thus generate profit for a company) but because they are convinced that the tax component of the cost of a liter of petrol is a justifiable social expense (and thus provide money for social use).
Theres a difference there. Fact is that in most of Europe the majority cost of a liter of fuel is taxes, and people accept THAT they do not necessarily accept a higher price of the fuel itself.
Products and services cost much more in Europe than in the US because most European nations subscribe to some sort of social welfare program which most people think is a good thing. Europeans have universal health care, most Europeans do not have to pay for university, unemployment insurance, guaranteed vacation times, parental leave, on and on, these programs cost money, money that citizens pay with direct taxes and indirect taxes, which leads to higher end user costs.
The US has practically none of those social programs or at most very limited (relatively speaking) versions. Which grants them greater disposable income, which increases competition for that income which drives down prices.
We have the same basic system in Europe but on top of if is the social responsibility tax which adds to the price of everything and thus decreases disposable income which retards the amount of product actually sold.
-Gooney