(03-23-2023, 09:19 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(03-23-2023, 08:57 PM)EricC85 Wrote: France has a progressive income tax rate like ours maxing out at 45%. They also have a VAT tax of 20%, combine the two and that's a 65% tax rate at the top. Even with the rich paying almost 2/3rds of income to the state, they still can not fund their social programs. 

Does this make anyone rethink the non sense that is endless state funded social programs? Is it not better to realize that all money confiscated through taxation is inefficient at best. Surely no one can argue that France just simply doesn't tax enough. 

Reason with me my liberal friends, how does this not persuade one that taxation for utopia is a pipe dream?

American progressives don't really want to lower our retirement age to 62 like France.  They're OK with 67.  Those 5 years make a big difference in the sustainability of the structure.
American progressives would like to imitate French housing and transit and health care policy maybe but not the retirement age.