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Comment by jakarta | Hacker News Reader

And you are arguing as if the Greek government is entitled to no taxes.

Greece provides its citizens with loads of social services. Someone/something has to pay for that. In the other EU countries, you know - the ones without sovereign debt crises (Germany for example), the taxes paid by citizens help pay for some of those services.

In Greece that doesn't happen because of the rampant tax evasion. So instead the government lies about its budget deficit, borrows tons of debt, and is now hoping for a bailout from some of the more fiscally responsible EU nations. German tax paying citizens are likely going to have to help subsidize Greek citizens who are unwilling to pay taxes.

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Greece does not provide its citizens with more social services than other European countries, I would say that they actually provide less. And although you are right about the deficit, again, the main problem is the inflated public sector with all its associated problems, like high pensions at a young age.

The private sector should not be burdened with this, and actually, it cannot afford to pay for this burden. If collecting more taxes is the solution here, it's certain that Greece will go bankrupt.

Regarding Germany vs the other European countries, what is easy to see is the direct contribution of Germany to the EU but the indirect benefits that Germany got because of the fixed currency are more difficult to see although very very important for them.

It's not about more taxes, necessarily, it's that everyone should pay their "fair share", not some people pay 50%, and some wealthier people pay 0. If they think that is too high, they need to convince the politicians/electorate to lower the taxes. I can't just go steal stuff from the supermarket because I don't like the price.

"It's not about more taxes, necessarily, it's that everyone should pay their "fair share", not some people pay 50%"

I wish this was the case in the US.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Nearly-half-of-US-households-a...

Nearly 50% of US households didn't pay federal taxes last year. It seems people only complain when the "rich" don't pay their taxes.

I also seriously doubt that the only people not paying taxes in Greece are wealthy.

But people in the US (mostly) pay the taxes that they are supposed to pay, not the taxes they feel like paying. If they don't like that, there is a democratic process they can go through to get them lowered (or raised, or whatever).

> I also seriously doubt that the only people not paying taxes in Greece are wealthy.

If you read the article and the comments, the people who actually pay their taxes are those who work for companies and have them withheld, so pretty much "middle class".

> It seems people only complain when the "rich" don't pay their taxes.

I wonder why ... I'd be pretty bitter if I had to pay, and saw some guy living a life of luxury who isn't paying a dime.

There's a difference between being against taxes, and fighting to eliminate them, and simply cheating because you don't like them.

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