| | Canada has much higher income and sales taxes than the US at both the national and provincial level. This is now particularly true for Quebec.
Britain has come up markedly on the business and standard of living side side of the scale since the Thatcher reforms, but has slid on the crime and criminal justice side. Basic rights like protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy have been curtailed, and there is now a movement to eliminate the right to a jury trial for criminal defendants accused of a large category of offenses, including some felonies. Gun control is now very strict with stiff punishments. Self-defense has been de facto banned as a valid defense in court. These two have led to a violent crime wave. So if you are accosted by a mugger or rapist, your best bet is to give him what he wants and hope he doesn't kill you afterwards. Video from the ubiquitous public cameras has been used to prosecute mugging victims for assault after they fought back.
Australia has very strict gun control now too, and its violent crime rate has also been rising rapidly since that was enacted.
Ireland, long the poor relation of the English speaking world, has cut its taxes to record low levels and is therefore enjoying a boom with record low unemployment rates and a rapidly rising standard of living. This has led to calls from France and other ailing over-taxed countries for a more uniform tax rate to be imposed by each EU member state. (The idea of lowering their own levels to match the Irish success hasn't occured to them. They just want Ireland to commit economic suicide by raising its tax rates.)
In the US, by contrast, the economy is still in a slump compared to the 1990's. But our current unemployment rate of about 6% would be considered a sign of miraculous economic health in most EU countries. The border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as southern Florida, are gradually becoming bilingual societies due to the last 40 years of Latin American immigration. This constitutes proof of our long-term job-creation potential and continuing ability to pass the "gates test".
With longer jail terms, less parole, 80 million gun owners, and more states passing "shall issue" laws (which require the police to issue a license to carry a concealed handgun to each applicant who meets certain standards,) our crime rate has been plunging for more than the last decade.
Trial by jury and the right to avoid self-incrimination are still safe here with the possible new exception of the Patriot Act provisions for alleged terrorist cases. Protection against double jeopardy is in place for most defendants who are not police officers, but is slowly being eroded by the Federal government's usurpation of the criminal law.
Bill
|
|
