You lucky Aussies, Admitted you are less lucky then USsies, did you ever think about those poor EU victims that pay 60+ per cent. Of what remains they still pay VAT (often around 20%).
On the other side of that "coin," the Europeans enjoy a fairly good national health care system that is about 100% free of charge and retirement benefits that are good + About 6 weeks paid vacation per year. Also, they have one of the worlds best railroad/transportation systems that goes just about everywhere. The gas is about $4 per gallon, but at least the highway speed limits are reasonable and in some areas nonexistent.
Yes they can use technology especially emails all the more so that the emails of the WORLD are now under total control of Vixie Enterprise http://www.dotcomeon.com/ Just read the personality of who is behind : he doesn't hesitate to compare himself to Hitler so you can guess how they can use that for surveillance of offshore accounts.
On topic, as usual, eh Harry? The article http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8773087%5E601,00.html mentions nothing about email whatsoever. Why do you continue your lame attempts to create non-topical controversy where none exists?
Hi max, That's what the politicians continuously brag about in Europe. Forget about 100% free health care! For most of the real stuff you pay through your nose. In some countries they will even fleece your kids for it. About "good" national health care. You didn't read any newspapers as of late. It seems in GB, unless you can pay for private care, you wait 6 months or more for a simple appointment with a dentist. Surgery? They have to ship you to the US sometimes because of long waiting lines! Retirement? There ain't going to be any in the near future they say. Many Europeans are now driven towards private plans. I don't know what you call reasonable speed limits. In France I read, police is cracking down like hell right now on speeders. It seems there are still too many victims left dead on the road. OK, let's keep on paying taxes. We get what we deserve for it. nononsense
Interesting, but I'm sure that the taxpayers in the brackets that would "require" offshore tax evasion don't have the problems of the general hoi polloi. Too many victims left dead? The German Autobahn has no speed limit, yet is safer than US roads. Of course, they teach their citizens how to actually drive a car properly from birth and unlike the US, foreign residents can't just breeze into their local DMV and take the driving test in their own language.
Interesting, I'm affraid we are diverging a bit, but I would like to point out that traffic casualties are reported very differently between Germany and the US. On your German Autobahn you are a traffic death if you are picked up dead on the Bahn. If you die in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, you're no longer a "traffic death". In the US, you are still tallied as a traffic death if you die within 15 or (30?) days after the accident. Makes some difference. Autobahn being safer than US driving? I have to think twice about this one. As to your comparison between the DMV in the US and the German "Behoerden", again this is a matter of taste. In my experience, I keep very good memories about the courtesy with which people get treated (on average) by the US civil servants. I better shut up about what I was going to write further. Be good, nononsense