Was talking with an Australian yesterday afternoon. I told him I always wanted to try living there. I asked him about taxes and benefits. He told me income tax ranges from 30-50%, and goods are generally much more expensive because they have a VAT (they call it something different). What do you get for this? His answer went kind of like this:
"Well, the roads are crap. Even along the east coast where most of the population lives, the main 'highway' is one to two lanes and full of potholes. We get a pension after 65, but you can't live off it. The minimum wage is higher and most employees get at least 4 weeks vacation. Healthcare is 'free,' but the wait list for most surgeries takes too long so people end up paying for their surgeries if they can afford them to jump the line. And the cost of petrol and electric is through the roof. On the plus side, the people are real laid-back."
Anyway, I guess I'll chalk up Australia as another fine example of socialized medicine. It's gonna be totally awesome, and cheap, when we try to implement a similar system here for 320 million, approximately half of whom don't even pay income tax.
