Alpha_Floor wrote:
In general, my main issue is how bloody expensive everything is and how everyone tries to rip you off
It’s also that GA is full of cheap expensive stuff.
For instance, the PA-28 brake fluid master cylinder literally is a 3-in-1 oil can with a pipe fitting on the bottom (not just PA-28s, other planes too). It is literally a cheap tin can. But to legally replace one? A second-hand one of these 25 cent cans will cost you around 150 euros (looking at ebay now, one is being advertised for $143, complete with scuffs and dents). It’s cheap low-quality crap being sold for orbital prices. The marine or motoring world wouldn’t stand for it.
Same with some airfields: it costs more to park your small aircraft on a windy, remote piece of concrete (with absurdly short opening hours) without even tie-downs than it does the hotel you’re staying in.
Silvaire wrote:
Scandinavian socialism, built as it is on very uniform culture and values, is a very different thing than say, Venezuelan style socialism.
Right. But Mooney_Driver’s claim was about “socialists” and “environmentalists” in Europe, not Venezuela.
One difference is that Scandinavian culture encourages success, because it’s seen as the source for funding government activity that satisfies the objectives of a very uniform majority, along with e.g. 70% total tax rates.
I don’t know where you find the 70% tax rate. Taxation in Sweden is about 45% of the GNP. Sure, that’s high (but less that e.g. France).
XXX wrote:
Typical greasy spoon southern UK airfield. Two men in matching flight suits covered in badges talking very loudly about their achievements. You automatically assume they’re combat veterans, fly for BA during the week, do warbird air displays at the weekend. They’re later spotted clambering clumsily into a dirtbag C152.
That’s like the Civil Air Patrol guys here. Full F-16 outfits, with map pockets on their knees on the flight suit. The the 3 guys step into an old shitty C172.
Well, I for one do not see anything wrong with that. I am personally guilty of dressing filthy crappy clothing when going flying and that is not very inspiring for anyone else looking. I am in the process of changing that.
A different matter is whether I believe I am a better or more deserving person because I am wearing a Boeing test pilot jacket…but even then, even if morally questionable, as long as I am not restricting anyone else, who am I hurting?
I think we should let people be…as long as they don’t hurt anyone
I just read the whole thread and found three common themes outstanding amongst the rest (the order is mine, making it to the shortlist is yours):
These are clearly the three most GA-damaging items on the list and the ones we should fight against if we want GA to survive improve..
Airborne_Again wrote:
Right. But Mooney_Driver’s claim was about “socialists” and “environmentalists” in Europe, not Venezuela.
It’s shades of grey, of which Scandinavia is white and Venezuela etc are black, used by me to make the point.. There is enough grey in Europe for the point to hold true.
Tax rates include VAT and all the rest as well as income tax and are in combination higher on more successful people, which is who I was discussing, than less successful people.
I saw an interesting report that said Sweden has a low number of women in non-traditional occupations despite high taxation funding them to do anything they want in terms of education etc. The conclusion was that what they want is not to be men, and I think that carries over equally to spare time activities.
Silvaire wrote:
Tax rates include VAT and all the rest as well as income tax.
Do you mean the percentage of an employers salary costs that are left to the seller when an employee buys something? In that case the rate for an average income earner in Sweden is 52% – not 70%. Even for me who is among the top 10% earners in Sweden the figure is 59%.
Silvaire wrote:
The conclusion was that what they want is not to be men, and I think that carries over equally to spare time activities.
I’ve also read that in less developed countries the proportion of women training for traditionally “male” jobs are higher than in developed countries. The explanation given is that this is necessary for them to achieve respect and independence. In developed countries women can generally have that no matter what jobs they go for.
Airborne_Again wrote:
If you mean what percentage of an employers salary costs are left to the seller when an employee buys something? In that case the rate for an average income earner in Sweden is 52% – not 70%. Even for me who is among the top 10% earners in Sweden the figure is 59%.
Again, when mentioning 70% combined taxes I was not talking about average wage earners or the top 10%.
Silvaire wrote:
Again, when mentioning 70% combined taxes I was not talking about average wage earners or the top 10%.
So whom were you talking about?
Those paying up to 57.2% income tax plus 25% VAT on all retail purchases, plus 7% social security tax plus up to 0.3% residential property tax annually on the value of their home are who I was talking about here, when referring to successful people:
Silvaire wrote:
One difference is that Scandinavian culture encourages success, because it’s seen as the source for funding government activity that satisfies the objectives of a very uniform majority, along with e.g. 70% total tax rates
