I’m not going to leave the UK tax system, just live abroad.
But I’m registering for tax in Barbados in case the UK system starts reaching out to non-doms abroad.
Discussion
Good plan! Feels like the U.K. and Europe is taking a while to realise how terrible socialism is 😂
You joke about socialism, but that joke has become a widely adopted mantra and that mantra is causing misunderstanding in people that choose not to think for themselves more deeply.
Socialism is not bad, most good governments require socialism. If you want the state to be responsible for building schools, hospitals, road, recreational parks, housing for the poor and financial support for the poor.
Socialism, just like capitalism or communism in extreme forms is unhealthy. But in balance in all things is beneficial to society.
America is an extreme form of capitalism and has worked very well as a method of creating great wealth up to a point. The UK was a great empire based on capitalist aims with social responsibility. We conquered the world very brutally, but once conquered provided beneficial social responsibilities for those countries by offering them local democracy, building huge amounts of infrastructure and social care.
Even monarch ruled states such as the UAE has great social care, albeit un-democratic. The ruling family provide most of the countries infrastructure and services. While they remain benevolent this works extremely well. If they become malevolent, this is when rulers become dictators and suppress their population.
Like most things in life, balance is important, most systems of rule work OK, some better than others. But extreme iterations of these systems causes problems. It is easier for communism and socialism to become unchecked and become extreme. It is harder for capitalist societies to become extreme, but this is what is happening currently in the west.
Your statement asserts that jokes about socialism create misunderstandings and discourages critical thinking. While this is plausible, it simplifies the issue. Misunderstandings about socialism often arise from media framing, ideological bias, and historical context.
For instance: Many people's views on socialism are shaped by its association with authoritarian regimes, such as the USSR or Maoist China, rather than democratic socialist models like those in Scandinavia.
People often rely on heuristics and biases when processing information, leading to oversimplifications. For example, the availability heuristic makes individuals judge socialism by the most salient examples (e.g., Venezuela), rather than its nuanced forms.
Social structures perpetuate stereotypes through institutions like education and media. Jokes about socialism might reflect deeper cultural attitudes, but they alone don’t cause misunderstandings.
The assertion that most good governments require socialism is broadly defensible but can be refined:
Successful welfare states (e.g., Norway, Sweden) demonstrate how socialistic policies—public healthcare, education, and housing—enhance societal well-being.
Mixed economies blend socialism and capitalism, achieving balance by combining market efficiency with social equity. Nobel laureates like Amartya Sen emphasize the necessity of social welfare for human development.
Critics argue that even beneficial socialist policies can lead to inefficiencies (e.g., bureaucratic inertia) or moral hazards (e.g., dependency on welfare).
The claim that extremism in any ideology is harmful is widely supported. However, certain aspects need further exploration:
Economists like Thomas Piketty have shown that unchecked capitalism exacerbates inequality, creating conditions for social unrest.
Extreme capitalism leads to monopolies, environmental degradation, and public goods under-provision.
Sociologists like Herbert Marcuse argue that hyper-capitalism fosters consumerism and alienation, diminishing social cohesion.
The statement claims socialism is more prone to becoming extreme, which is debatable:
While socialism has sometimes led to authoritarianism, capitalist states have also enabled oligarchies (e.g., the Gilded Age).
Systems of governance, not ideology, often determine whether a state becomes extreme. A robust legal framework can prevent excesses in both socialism and capitalism.
The UAE’s example is accurate but idealized. Political scientists like Fareed Zakaria argue that benevolent autocracies can deliver rapid development but lack safeguards against abuses of power. Moreover, such systems are less adaptive to societal changes, unlike democracies.
The UK’s colonial history, framed here as a mix of capitalist aims with social responsibility, is contentious:
Scholars like Edward Said argue that colonial powers justified exploitation by highlighting infrastructure projects, ignoring the immense human and cultural costs.
Postcolonial critiques suggest that the infrastructure and social services provided by colonizers primarily served imperial interests rather than local populations.
The argument for balance resonates with psychological theories like the Goldilocks Principle (optimal levels of any variable lead to the best outcomes). However, achieving balance is complex:
People and institutions often exhibit loss aversion, favoring the status quo over balanced reform.
Social Dynamics: Polarization, driven by group identity and confirmation bias, makes balance challenging to sustain.
While the critique is primarily academic, the discussion implies some actionable insights:
Governments should combine capitalist innovation with socialist safety nets to address inequality.
Educational Reforms: Critical thinking should be emphasized to counter ideological simplifications.
Checks and Balances: All systems require institutional safeguards to prevent extremism.
Thank you, interesting expansion of my thoughts, very much appreciate the relevant context.
I guess the next question is why are most people swayed by extreme, uninformed views about different cultures and ideologies?
I appreciate not everybody has the time to think in depth about these things, but if you don’t know something, why accept a negative, extreme view, why not just accept you don’t know something and assume a more reasonable, positive view?
I am comfortable not knowing something. I am also comfortable knowing that I will make mistakes and explore redundant avenues during the learning phase. And almost everything I know I welcome being challenged by anybody with a reasoned well thought out argument or view.
Seems people are swayed by extreme, uninformed views due to the comfort of certainty, social influence, and confirmation bias.
Extreme views provide clear answers in a complex world, while social circles and media can reinforce negative stereotypes. It's easier for some to adopt strong opinions rather than embrace uncertainty.
Your approach of being open to learning, accepting mistakes, and welcoming well-reasoned challenges is key to fostering deeper understanding and growth.
Well explained.
I think I pretty much agree 💯
Thank you.
socialism is the most natural thing people end with IF it is fucking CONSENSUAL and not GOVERNMENT-ENFORCED.
If keep the market adjust itself you end up with local-little-socialisms (wealthy people that care about their relatives, their friends and people they like).
Oh no, not a gilded age, that sounds terrible
These sort of balanced conversations are so important. The pendulum always swings too far as humans aggressively over correct. Maybe we are getting better at dampening the extremes though.
I hope so 🤞
The more governments lean toward socialism, the more likely they are to adopt extractive institutions—systems that centralise power and wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of innovation, growth, and individual freedom.
History shows that inclusive institutions, which empower broad participation, protect property rights and ensure opportunities for all are the true drivers of prosperity.
When power consolidates, opportunity shrinks.
This is what is happening in parts of Europe and Australia, even though we are democratic capitalists.
Extract, extract and extract some more.
I'm looking to leave UK tax system. So need to check on the cons of doing this as you mentioned UK tax system might start to reaching out to non UK tax residents. Not entirely sure how thry could do this?