Billby2K: About sales tax–You still pay sales taxes, I’d reckon, in Australia–the tax is simply included in the price. And there are states without sales tax (such as Oregon)–sales tax is administered by the individual states, not the federal government.
States vary widely on this. Some don’t charge sales tax, some don’t charge income tax, some add extra tax charges for things like cigarettes and alcohol and gasoline while others don’t. But, in general, the total amount of tax (based as a percentage of income) DOES tend to be less in the United States than in Europe (or Australia.) Of course, one might argue that you get what you pay for when it comes to government…or that America has the best government money can buy!
People are charged $20 for an aspirin at hospitals because the government mandates that emergency rooms treat everyone, regardless of ability to pay, but don’t provide any funding to pay for this mandate. Thus, the hospital is faced with either charging those who can pay for hospital care to subsidize those who can’t, or going out of business. A single-payer healthcare system would cost less and treat more–but Americans are fearful of appearing “socialist.” They don’t seem to mind public-funded freeways, police, military, airlines, etcetera, though…