France is great. I visit a few times a year, and the food is fantastic, the museums are amazing, and the day care is free (or heavily subsidized) starting at 3 months old. New York City, where I live, is also great, with pretty good food and architecture. The day care, not so much.

Of course that French day care comes at a steep price. The French — even the middle class — pay much more in taxes. According to the OECD, the average single earner pays 28% of their income in taxes, compared to 24% in the US. And that does not include the large consumption taxes Europeans pay.

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