[tomsmuidh]

Those figures aren't right for the US (about 4 or 5 percentage points too high). Don't know about Canada.

But it's true that the US government's spending as a share of economic activity is at post-war highs. This is very disheartening for me.

[r5YOPDyk]

Those figures aren't right for the US

Yes, they are.

[DaleJrGirl]

No, they aren't. Perhaps they inadvertently aren't subtracting out federal grants to the states.

[fhutiussk]

Sure. The government spending at all levels ($4.99 trillion) is found at line 33 of NIPA Table 3.1.

http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/...JavaBox=no#Mid

The GDP figure ($14.26 trillion) is found at line 1 of NIPA Table 1.1.5.

http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/...JavaBox=no#Mid

This yields a 35% figure rather than the ~ 40% figure given above.

2009 should be in the 36% - 37% range, a post-war high.

[Deengealf]

It should be noted that I wholeheartedly agree that Canada has done very well on this score over the last 10-15 years. There is a stark difference between the Canada and the US.

[Cofeeman]

Even using your figures I see a discrepancy of at most 3%, not 5%

Either way, you guys are about to surpass us in terms of spending as a % of GDP

[Broker15015]

Fvck you, KrazyHorse.

I wish you were wrong about the different tracks taken, but fvck you.

[Adimondin]

Canada's doing better because of oil revenues. Let's see what happens now that oil has fallen.

Oil revenues? Look at the decline in 90-2000. Oil revenues then weren't hot...

[gimffnfabaykal]

I'm sure that Canada will be happy to take in whatever boat people the US sends our way. We do ask that you learn to speak our language(s) however. Repeat after me:

colour
labour
centre
catalogue
cheque
defence
analyse

[Glanteeignile]

Top total marginal income tax rate for a resident of Toronto: 40.16%
Top total marginal income tax rate for a resident of New York City: 46.35%

[Zhgrlpil]

What the hell are they spending all that money on?

Will American expats have to start sending remittances to their benighted stay-at-home relatives?

[kentbrookug]

Perhaps you should stop pissing people off so much that you end up fighting them.

We'll sell you the secret of our Stealth Nation Technology for a one-time lump sum payment of....oh, say 1 trillion $CAN (in gold please; we know that you guys tend to bounce cheques).

Should be a steal for you.

[ZIDouglas]

Hey, I'm not the one in favor of wagging our dick all around the world.

Damn x-post

[hrthwhr]

Even when you factor in beer money?

[TornadoPD]

Well, technically you're spending your children's money.

US: a nation of deadbeat dads

[bZEUWO4F]

The Canada Pension Plan: no projected shortfall for the foreseeable future. Current accumulated funds invested in a range of private and public assets by an arms-length investment board

US Social Security: tens of trillion dollar shortfalls. Current accumulated funds "invested" solely in US treasury bonds earning virtually no interest

Canada: where the intergenerational Ponzi schemes are sustainable

[xanaxnewtrader]

Top total marginal income tax rate for a resident of Toronto: 40.16%
Top total marginal income tax rate for a resident of New York City: 46.35%

Top total marginal capital gains tax rate for a resident of Toronto: 20.08%
Top total marginal income tax rate for a resident of New York City: 46.35%

[Trercakaressy]

That's true, but people will pay only so much to live in an awesome place like NYC or Montreal.

Hell, people have even been moving to Calgary.

[Quiniacab]

Montreal's cheap, except for taxes.

And NYC's expensive, but there are jobs there which don't exist anywhere else (other than London and other similarly-priced cities).

[avitalporatova]

And NYC's expensive, but there are jobs there which don't exist anywhere else

Well, there were jobs like that...