Americans are morons.

Let's take a $5,000 purchase.

12.4% goes towards social security and medicare
6% goes for local taxes
6% goes for state taxes
12% goes for federal taxes
3.6% goes for misc taxes like unemployment and workmans compensation and permits and fees
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40% Add this to whatever service or product you buy

Nothing has been bought or sold yet

NOw add in the cost of doing business
18% advertising
10% product or service cost
20% payroll
1% liability protection (Insurance, incorporation, attorney fees)
1% Misc overhead (Paperclips and pens)
-----
50% overhead

50% + 40% = 90% gets paid out (Or added onto the price of whatever you want to buy)

So on a $5,000 sale the merchant is left with a $500 profit.

3 scenarios:
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1) You are unhappy with your purchase - You demand your money back
2) Your government fines said business for doing something they say is bad
3) You suffer damage from said product or service and win a lawsuit

-----

And you want your freakin job back?

Drop dead

[edit on 9-11-2009 by In nothing we trust]

It's the same all over the world, worse in a lot of countries that will take 40% off the top of every step in the manufacturing process then hit the consumer with a 20% sales and service tax. Nobody likes it but nobody can escape it, unless we overthrow all governments and remake the entire financial system.

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe
It's the same all over the world, worse in a lot of countries that will take 40% off the top of every step in the manufacturing process then hit the consumer with a 20% sales and service tax. Nobody likes it but nobody can escape it, unless we overthrow all governments and remake the entire financial system.

That my friend is the ONLY solution to this problem, and it is coming, whether you and I do anything about it or not. The entire system is on the verge of self-destruction.

The Titanic has already been ruptured by the iceberg. While the majority continue to dine and dance, the ship is slowly but surely filling with water, and will soon go straight to the bottom. Unfortunately, there arent enough life boats for everyone, so many will perish.