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Which idyllic country/island in the world does have fast Internet access?
Thread poster: suirpwb (X)
David Jessop
David Jessop  Identity Verified
Laos
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
Lanzarote, Canary Islands May 25, 2010

Have to weigh in. I was in Lanzarote this Winter-Spring and I have to tell you, I was amazed. I have done a lot of nature travel, having walked thousands of miles across the United States and South America and this is one of the most beautiful spots I have ever been to. It's a volcanic island and it's otherworldy!

Plus telecom at the same speed and price as mainland Spain, food and people from all over Europe, including great English beer and hamburgers, a small city with modern con
... See more
Have to weigh in. I was in Lanzarote this Winter-Spring and I have to tell you, I was amazed. I have done a lot of nature travel, having walked thousands of miles across the United States and South America and this is one of the most beautiful spots I have ever been to. It's a volcanic island and it's otherworldy!

Plus telecom at the same speed and price as mainland Spain, food and people from all over Europe, including great English beer and hamburgers, a small city with modern conveniences (Arrecife) in addition to lots of nature and tiny hamlets. It's a lot cheaper than big city Spain and you get certain economic benefits and subsidies (like discounted airplane tickets).

You can ride your bicycle around the island in 3 days to give you an idea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanzarote

I am seriously considering spending some months there. Great stuff.

Best,
David
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Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
Madeleine MacRae Klintebo  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Swedish to English
+ ...
Very intelligent analysis May 25, 2010

Brian Young wrote:

When "you" get paid, you are deluding yourself if you actually believe that "you" made all of the money that is in your paycheck. "You" were paid a certain amount, and that was made possible only because "you" live in a society that has educated "you", provided "you" with an infrastructure that makes "your" life possible, as well as health and security services that keep "you" alive. So, simply put, it is NOT all your money, and the society that allows you to enjoys the fruits of civilisation has all the right in the world to ask that you "return" a fair share of it.



The rest of your posting was also very interesting.


 
Brian Young
Brian Young  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:03
Danish to English
your original remarks May 25, 2010

Thanks Madeleine
It was your remarks that were an incentive to me to clarify this. At first I was just going to let it go, but then I felt I had to say something.
This is a big subject here in the US, where the "teapartiers" bask in the glory of US troops who give EVERYTHING in what they believe is a just cause, but who themselves don't want to pay a nickel to live here. It makes me sick.


 
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Flemish to English
+ ...
Idyllic country. May 26, 2010

I don't get a paycheck. If you are an advocate of high-taxed countries,why don't you go and live in one? Danemark or Sweden, for instance.
Some of these countries ask for advanced payment of taxes i.e. of money you don't even have, because you did not get an assignment. That's no excuse for the taxman/woman.
The more you earn, the more goes to the payment of the interest on the deficit of the state. After two or three years, you wind up working solely to pay those advanced payments,
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I don't get a paycheck. If you are an advocate of high-taxed countries,why don't you go and live in one? Danemark or Sweden, for instance.
Some of these countries ask for advanced payment of taxes i.e. of money you don't even have, because you did not get an assignment. That's no excuse for the taxman/woman.
The more you earn, the more goes to the payment of the interest on the deficit of the state. After two or three years, you wind up working solely to pay those advanced payments, because of progressive taxes.
The more you earn, the more you contribute to the unefficient, bureaucratic system.
But taxes were not the issue, the issue was, which idyllic country/island in the work does have fast internet access. Depends on what you understand under "idyllic".
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Brian Young
Brian Young  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:03
Danish to English
off subject May 26, 2010

Yes, we did stray off subject. However, when one of the desired attributes of paradise was to be able to live in a place where you don't pay taxes, the subject hit a kink in the road.
First of all, I do not advocate "high taxes", but only that it is reasonable to pay a fair share to live in and enjoy the fruits of a civilisation.
Whether or not you get an actual "paycheck" or not is irrelevant. If you can produce a product, and get paid, then it is the same as getting a paycheck, tho
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Yes, we did stray off subject. However, when one of the desired attributes of paradise was to be able to live in a place where you don't pay taxes, the subject hit a kink in the road.
First of all, I do not advocate "high taxes", but only that it is reasonable to pay a fair share to live in and enjoy the fruits of a civilisation.
Whether or not you get an actual "paycheck" or not is irrelevant. If you can produce a product, and get paid, then it is the same as getting a paycheck, though on a more sporadic basis.
I am sure there are many tax schemes that are not fair, but that is not an excuse for not paying any tax. The world is unfair. Thousands live in inherited luxury and never lift a finger, while others labor their entire lives and die in poverty. Oil runs industry, and money runs politics.
And, I did live in Denmark for 18 years, and I thought it was a great deal. So, taxes are high. But in the US, people whine about taxes, but don't seem able to realize that having the most expensive healthcare in the world is also a form of tax.
Getting ripped off by an unregulated banking system is also a form of tax. And the very rich pay less in tax now than ever.
Running a deficit is an indication of people or governments living beyond their means. They have to either cut spending, or increase taxation. Nobody wants to even say the word tax, because they are afraid of the backlash, mostly from impovershed and uneducated people who are already suffering the most from social inequities, and who probably don't pay much in tax either. Bill Gates and a few others have pointed out how unfair and just plain stupid it is that their secretaries have the same tax rate as they do. The government needs to grow up and tell the truth, and the electorate needs to smarten up as well.
It seems that we all agree that there is "no free lunch", and that is basically what I am saying.
Although there are an endless number of things that my government does, that I do not approve of, I still feel that it is entirely fair to pay to live in this country (USA)
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Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
Madeleine MacRae Klintebo  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Swedish to English
+ ...
May I ask a few questions... May 26, 2010

...Wiliamson?

1.In which country were you born? Was it perhaps a country with public health care provisions which enabled you to have a safe arrival in this world? As well as continued access to health services during your formative years and further.

2. In which country did you spent your childhood and youth? Was this by any chance a Western European country where you might have enjoyed access to publicly founded education. (Also applies to private education in the UK
... See more
...Wiliamson?

1.In which country were you born? Was it perhaps a country with public health care provisions which enabled you to have a safe arrival in this world? As well as continued access to health services during your formative years and further.

2. In which country did you spent your childhood and youth? Was this by any chance a Western European country where you might have enjoyed access to publicly founded education. (Also applies to private education in the UK as this form of organisations receive substantial public subsidies and as they are, for some reason, considered as charitable.)

3. Have you ensured that you have fully adequate health insurance so that you do not need to access any kind of publicly founded health care at any time?

4. What are your arrangements for pension provisions? Have you saved/invested enough to ensure a reasonable income without recourse to publicly founded schemes?
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Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
Madeleine MacRae Klintebo  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Swedish to English
+ ...
Forgot to answer this one May 26, 2010

Williamson wrote:

I don't get a paycheck. If you are an advocate of high-taxed countries,why don't you go and live in one? Danemark or Sweden, for instance.



I've worked all of my adult life, freelance or in-house, in ether high-tax Sweden or the UK (not by any means a low tax country). And whilst might agree that some of my money supports causes that I do not fully agree with, I still support the idea that those who are able should support those less able.


 
Arnaud HERVE
Arnaud HERVE  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 20:03
English to French
+ ...
Dubai May 27, 2010

Williamson wrote:

The Palm before the Dubai-coast, but that is expensive too. 0% taxes, hot in summer (40°-45°degrees celcius minimum and 30° in winter).


I don't believe in Dubai on the long term. Way too hot.

There is hot like when you like to go outside, and there is hot like when you hate to go outside. The Dubai weather I call that a climatic hazard, not a sunny weather.

I know there has been a hype but yet, the pleasant weather is not there. At all.


 
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Flemish to English
+ ...
An answer to Madeleine. May 28, 2010

Madeleine MacRae Klintebo wrote:

...Wiliamson?

1. In which country were you born?
2. in which country did you spent your childhood and youth? Was this by any chance a Western European country where you might have enjoyed access to publicly founded education? (Also applies to private education in the UK as these forms of organisations receive substantial public subsidies and as they are, for some reason, considered as charitable.)
3. Have you ensured that you have fully adequate health insurance so that you do not need to access any kind of publicly funded health care at any time?
4. What are your arrangements for pension provisions? Have you saved/invested enough to ensure a reasonable income without recourse to publicly founded schemes?



1. Belgium (look it up in wikepeadia and have a look at the links) a non-country with the highest corporate tax-rate of 33, 9% in Europe. The European average is 23%, but with a tax-loophole for big corporations and super-rich. A country, where the one half yearly wastes 13 billion Euros in solidarity money to the other half.
A country, where a quid-pro-quo policy is standard, where in the name of that quid-pro-quo, there amongst others are "7 schools for translators and interpreters (4 with Dutch as "A"-language and three with French (one of those three with German) as "A"-language and a lot of '"Grands travaux inutiles" (useless public works) which cost billions have been undertaken.
A country, with the highest gross salary of the E.U., but with a low net-salary (if you get a 1000 Euros, your boss has to pay 3250 Euros). Not to mention the numerous interest groups funded by public money. A shining example of bureaucracy with 92 different corporate tax-levels.

2. Yes. But as an unborn, I was not responsible for the health care provisions.
"As well as continued access to health services during your formative years and further": Yes. But so what. Do I owe something to society for that?


3. As an E.U.-citizen, I can get treatment anywhere in the E.U., can't I. How fast are you from London to Brussels ? Yes, so what? Take the best of both worlds. Why pay huge sums of tuition, if the content is the same. The only reason I see is to win time (say a year) and time is money or to buy/study yourself into a network of (powerful) people (called alumnae).

4. None. If in the coming 15 years my income is not going to be considerable and not only coming from translation, but by doing business ( a business based on education and life's experience), I won't have a pension.
But I wonder if my other compatriots will get their pensions?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj7CtIPiK0M (subtitled in English).
The white-paper mentioned in the video never came to be, because the government stumbled over linguistic issues.

@Arnaud: I have been in Dubai. I know that it is hot there and that you will be awakened and go to sleep with the call to prayer.
But calculate for yourself the cost of living in the Emirates for two years and saving that income vs. paying 50% of your income to France. High-taxed countries don't like their citizens to build up capital.

Do I feel I have to give something back? Not in the least. The system is as the system is and will turn without or without me. I have lost my belief in the Belgian tragicomedy years ago.
I am not the only one. Why do some of my compatriots run a translation agency in the Dominican Republic or Hong Kong? And why do the Belgian rich deposit their money in Anguilla, the Dutch Antilles, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Dublin, Guernsey, Hong Kong, the Isle of Man, the Marshall Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Jersey, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan? Out of patriotism or solidarity with the poorest pensioners?



[Edited at 2010-05-29 10:10 GMT]


 
Ana Kroll
Ana Kroll  Identity Verified
English to Polish
+ ...
Just Spain Jun 8, 2010

I recommend you Spain. Canary Islands is paradise with great climate and wonderful people!!!

Sun, beach, mountains, water sports, fast Internet connection even on beach or next to pool.

You want more ...@

With best wishes,
Ann


 
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Flemish to English
+ ...
Figures vs.love. Jun 26, 2010

I have been more into figures lately than into "love".
The Canary Islands may be a paradise, but not a tax-paradise like the Cayman Islands.
(sun, no taxes, good amenities).


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
not I Jun 26, 2010

I don't want to be anywhere else.

For anyone translating into English, the UK is a good island to be on. English is all around you so your translations are always in now's English, not yesterday's.

And anyway as Nina Simone used to sing about her Baby, I don't like "hot dumb places" either.

Beaches = yawn.



[Edited at 2010-06-26 14:04 GMT]


 
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