ECONOMICS USA by Mark Rosenfelder, Australia by Chris O'Regan, Austria by Klaus A. Brunner, Brazil by Emilio Neto, Brittany (France) by Damien Erwan Perrotin, Canada & Ontario by Adam Bishop, British Columbia (Canada) by PJ Perdue, Quebec (Canada) by Valerie Bourdeau, China by the English class at the Suzhou branch of Agile Software Co, Colombia by Carlos Thompson Pinzón, England by Graham John Francis de Sales Wheeler, Finland by Johanna Laakso, France by Nicolas Duvernois, Germany by Irgend Jemand, Greece by Chris TDAQ, India by Apurva Mishra, Israel by Robin Alexander, Italy by Riccardo Distasi, Japan by Hirofumi Nagamura, Urban Mexico by Acoyani Garrido Sandoval, The Netherlands by Bas Suverkropp, New Zealand by Gareth Wilson, Nigeria by Didi, Poland by Pawel Stachura, Scotland by Geoff Eddy, South Africa by T'Mar, Sweden by Anders Janson, Turkey by Cyril Alebard, Long Island by Robert Delaney, Southern Louisiana by Andrew Chaney, Texas by Tom Wier, Yorkshire (UK) by Stephanie Bailey, Southcentral Alaska by Cherie Campbell, and the general characteristics of the First Generation Immigrant by John Smith
C	Utilities & companies: public or private	Inflation & unemployment	Taxes	Variety of items for sale, haggling	Credit cards	Inheritance
NORTH AMERICA
U S A	It seems natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, auto manufacturers, airlines, and power companies are privately run; indeed, you can hardly picture things working differently.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 30% is scandalously high.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.	Just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
A L A S K A S O U T H C E N T R A L U S A	It seems natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, auto manufacturers, airlines, and power companies are privately run; indeed, you can hardly picture things working differently.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time. Alaska has historically been based on boom-bust economies, such as gold rushes and the fur trade. The current boom is the oil industry, which has made Alaska truly rich and self-sufficient for the first time ever.	You think a tax level of 30% is scandalously high, even though you have no state income tax and get money from the government each year. Some places, such as Anchorage, have no sales tax either, which makes shopping nice.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy, but not as much as in the contiguous states. There are fewer stores and chains; many goods either don't make their way up here or are hard to find outside of Anchorage. About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.	Just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
L O N G I S L A N D U S A	The power company used to be private. After a long political battle caused by high rates, it was recently changed to something in between public and private. A small group of people made a lot of money on the deal (and you weren't one of them).		Property taxes are higher here than in most other parts of the country. Senior citizens on a fixed income sometimes have to sell their houses because they can't afford to keep paying them.	Convenience stores, gas stations, and many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day.
L O U I S I A N A U S A		You are not proud that yours is one of the poorest states in the country. Neither are you proud that you have the lowest paid teachers of any Southern state. Since the state is largely agriculural, long periods without rain have a very negative effect on the economy.	You think a tax level of 30% is scandalously high.
T E X A S U S A			A State income tax is anathema to you. You probably took former Gov. Anne Richards at her word when she said it was either that or a state lottery. The less money going to the government, the less they can abuse it, which is why your legislators are among the worst paid in the country (which, irony of ironies, makes it almost impossible to run unless you wouldn't have to work anyways). A federal income tax of more than, say, 30% is practically obscene, and the idea of city income taxes (like in New Orleans) can be the source of conversations with the theme "Who are they?".
C A N A D A	You know that some things are owned privately and some things are government run, but you probably don't know what.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time. You know that the Canadian dollar is worth less than the American dollar, but that can be both good and bad depending on the occasion.	You think a tax level of 30% is scandalously high.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy.	Just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A	It seems natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, auto manufacturers, airlines, and power companies are privately run.	You know that you pay more for the exact same goods and services as Americans, but you feel powerless to change this.	You think a tax level of 30% is about normal. You know what CPP means, and what an RRSP is. You probably have one.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. You expect to bargain for houses, cars, antiques, and most items sold at flea markets and garage sales.	Just about any store will take your credit card or debit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
O N T A R I O C A N	Many services have recently been privatized, such as electricity and water - and you suspect this led to the contamination of the water in Walkerton.	Toronto (which you sometimes refer to just as "T.O.", and is pronounced "Tronno" or "Tranna" - not "To-ron-to" as Americans always say, making them sound like they are having trouble speaking) is not only the political capital of the province, it is the economic capital of both Ontario and the rest of the country, so the province as a whole has a much stronger economy than the other provinces. Toronto, as an economic region, includes much of the shore of Lake Ontario, from Hamilton to Oshawa (the "Golden Horseshoe"), as well as the cities and towns to the north towards Lake Simcoe. If you live in this area you might work in Toronto, even if it takes hours to drive there because of traffic. You probably benefit the most from trade with the US since much of it passes through Ontario. In the northern part of the province the economy is heavily dependent on logging and mining. ("The north" begins where the province starts to widen out, north of the narrow part between Lake Huron and the Ottawa River)	There is a 15% tax on almost everything you buy, 8% of which goes to the provincial government, and you naturally grumble about this.
Q U E B E C C A N	Utility companies used to be public, then privately owned but subject to government rules, and now they are working towards complete deregulation.		You find taxes ridiculously high and a sales tax of 15% is way too much. Tax time is a pain because you have to file with both federal and provincial government, unlike the rest of the country. With an important health care crisis and budget cuts in education and every other major public service, you wonder where the money is going.	About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, antiques, and produce sold in open markets. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.	Almost every store (even the tiny convenience stores called dépanneurs) accept ATM cards. With an extensive ATM network, direct deposit and online banking, you can now go years without having to write a cheque.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
LATIN AMERICA
B R A Z I L	Until a few years ago, the State owned the telephone, railroad, electric, gas, transport (serviços públicos), oil, steel, nuclear power, mining, docks (setores estratégicos) and other companies. Now everything is being privatized. You have a pretty clear idea of how each system works.	You are scared s*less of a possible return of high inflation (up to 70% a month in February 1990).	You think a tax level of 15% is high.	You envy the wide variety of choices Americans have for almost anything they buy. If you have money you take a plane to New York or Miami and shop till you drop.	More and more stores are taking your credit card. Before, during the time of the high inflation, almost all stores took personal checks with some form of official identification. Even today, pre-dated checks are a popular form of consumer credit.	The normal thing when a couple dies is for their estate (if they have one) to be divided equally between their children (with a chunk for the lawyers, unfortunately).
C O L O M B I A	It seems natural to you that the telephone system and power companies are owned by the state, and neo-liberal governments are a bit crazy insisting on privatizing them. Auto manufacturers and airlines are privately run; and you can hardly picture things working differently.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 25%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 30% is scandalously high. But you won't be surprised if they pass it in congress.	You're used to a some variety of choices for almost anything you buy. Everything is subject to bargain, unless its price is printed.	Just about any big store will take your credit card. Grocery stores and small business probably won't; nor medium sized business in small towns.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
M E X I C O U R B A N	It seems natural for you that power and water are government-run. Phone, mass transit, hospitals and others are, however, partially government-run, partially private.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (over 15%) at the same time.	You think a tax rate of 18% is scandalously high.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost all what you buy. About the only things you need to bargain for are cars, houses and antiques. Haggling is common and often gives very good results.	Credit cards are most often accepted in supermarkets.
EUROPE
A U S T R I A	The telephone system, railroads, and power companies are still partly state-owned, and you don't mind that too much. Privatising them has brought lots of confusion and made things only a little bit cheaper.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be high (say, over 15%) at the same time. High inflation seems very unlikely.	You think a tax level of 55% is scandalously high, but you'd love to earn enough to have to pay that much.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy, although of course the "choices" are often quite similar. About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and flea market stuff. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.	Many stores will take your credit card nowadays, although credit cards are mostly used by tourists. If you pay with plastic, you'll use your Bankomat card (debit card), which is more widely accepted anyway. You don't pay with credit cards in restaurants unless it's an expensive place or you're trying to impress someone with your Platinum Visa. You don't write cheques, nobody does anymore.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
F I N L A N D			You complain about the scandalously high taxation, but not very loudly.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. (If you are older than 50, you might remember a time when well-off people could take a ferry to Stockholm to buy things one couldn't get in Finland.)	Just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
F R A N C E	It seems natural to you that the telephone system (yes, singular), the power company (yes, singular), the railroad company (yes, singular), and the post office are public companies; they have no reason to be private, since they have missions de service public. In particular, the price should be the same for the same service anywhere in the country, no matter if it is in Paris or in the deepest hole in the Alps.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time, but you know that it has happened in France and that it still happens in many countries these days.	You think a tax level over 50% is not scandalous. After all, once those in that bracket have paid, they still have more money left than you.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy.	Just about any store will take your credit card, provided you owe more than 100FF (about $20).	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
B R I T T A N Y F R	A number of utilities used to be state owned. They have been recently privatized. Unless you work in a former state company, you are not hostile to this, since it means lower prices. Aside from private and state companies, there are a number of "mutuelles" (banks, insurance companies) owned by their clients and "coopératives agricoles" (food industry) owned by the farmers which supply them. They are often very large, and the main bank of the country (The Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne) is a "mutuelle"	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time. This may however happen.	An income tax rate of 50% is high, but you think that people who earn a lot of money should pay high taxes.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy.	Credit cards are accepted in many shops. You generally have one, but still prefer to use checks.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
G E R M A N Y	The telephone system, railroads, and the airline were run by the government until a few years ago, and power companies used to be partially private, partially public monopolies. Now everything has been privatized and the monopolies eliminated. You hope that you will get better service now, but all the different new prices confuse you.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 50-60% is scandalously high-- if you earn enough money that you have to pay that much.	You're thought you had a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy until you first went to the USA or heard someone who was there talking about shopping.	Just about any store will take your credit card, unless you're in a very backward area.	What happens with their estate when a couple dies is so complicated that you need a lawyer to explain it to you.
G R E E C E	You don't understand the whole privatization movement (telephone system, airlines, and power/utility companies etc.), especially since you know that corrupt politicians will make any profits disappear fast. On the other hand you don't like state monopolies either.	There's no inflation anymore-- but there are lots of unemployed persons.	You think that ANY tax level is scandalously high. That's why you try desperately to evade paying taxes; Eforia (the Greek equivalent for IRS) is your favorite enemy.	You're used to having a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy-- if you can afford it, of course. You expect to bargain for houses, cars, antiques, and most items sold at open-air markets. After all, everyone who is in the selling business is a crook, and everything is always overpriced.	If you live in the city, just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
I T A L Y	The telephone system, the mail, railroads, and power companies used to be state-owned, but now they are privately held. The government maintains varying degrees of control through a combination of ordinary and/or "golden" shares and regulation powers. They say competition will push prices down, but you didn't notice much improvement.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time. Unemployment alone is quite another matter, especially in some Southern areas.	If you live on fixed wages, you think a tax level of 50% for high incomes is reasonable. After all: the high income guys gain much more than you, even after taxes. But taxes should be payed fully by everybody -- not only by fixed-income workers as it is now. If, on the other hand, you run your own business, you think the tax level is way too high and do anything you legally can to avoid paying what's due. You probably even do something you shouldn't.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. You expect to bargain for houses, cars, antiques, and most items sold at open-air markets or by Marocchini.	Large stores and most restaurants and hotels will take your credit card. Small stores will be fussier, especially if you don't spend much or if you buy articles on special sale.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
N E T H E R L A N D S	Most utilities are in the process of changing from state-run or monopolies to privately run. While you welcome lower prices for phone calls, you are suspicious whether private companies really look out for their customers.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time. High unemployment may occur, high inflation never.	An income tax rate of 60% is high, but you think that people who earn a lot of money should pay high taxes. You don't believe in a trickle-down effect.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy.	Credit cards are accepted in many shops, though, but they are mostly for yuppies and snobs, and you don't have one. You pay cash in shops, or use a debit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
P O L A N D	It seems natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, airlines, and power companies are privately run... but they aren't; they're state monopolies. Whenever they work inefficiently you think they should be privatized as soon as possible.	You remember both inflation and unemployment being very high (say, over 30%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 30% is scandalously high. Politicians will squander any money you give them, so there should be no taxes at all. (On the other hand, you will readily accept any social benefit handouts you can get.)	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum. You are usually too shy to try it.	Just about any store will take your credit card in big cities. Elsewhere only a big store will.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
S W E D E N	It seems a novelty to you that the telephone system, railroads, and power companies are privately run; indeed, you can easily remember when things were different. It is a queer sort of privatisation they have staged, for the infrastructure of power, phones and railways is still monopolised in a way and only the operative side is sold out. All operators apparently rent the power lines, phone lines and tracks from the formerly state owned monopoly so the competition is largely an illusion and it has not lowered prices much, if at all. Car manufacturers - Volvo, SAAB and Scania - were always private and airlines and power companies used to beowned jointly by national and private interests, I believe.	You would not expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 55% is scandalously high. Some pay more, some pay less. A minimum of 30% is first deducted at the source of income by the employer, the rest is 6-25% VAT that you pay on all purchases. 55% is thus easily reached. Even the poorest pay this much.	You are used to a wide, but not ridiculous, variety of choices for almost anything you buy. About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and possibly antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that is the buyer's minimum, but we are often too shy to do that.	Just about any store bigger than a convenience store or a tobacconist's will take your credit- or bank card. It is also routine to do large or regular payments by simply transferring money from one bank account to another, and you are surprised when you hear that Americans still send checks by mail.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children. However, these days the estate is not divided until the last survivor dies, unless he or she choses to distribute parts of it; a fairly new law here.
E N G L A N D U K	It is beginning to seem natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, auto manufacturers, airlines, and power companies are privately run; you can remember back to the pre-Thatcher era when things were different, but you can't see things changing and don't have very strong feelings on the subject anyway.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 10%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of over 50% for high earners is rather high.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy.	Just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
Y O R K S H I R E U K	It seems outrageous to you that the telephone system, railroads, auto manufacturers, airlines, and power companies are privately run; you think nationalised industries worked better. And, although nationalised rail was pretty bad, you often comment that it was still better than it is now.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 10%) at the same time.	You grumble about a tax level of 30% but accept it as normal.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. Although Yorkshire folk are generally frugal, they do like to push the boat out on special occasions.	Just about any store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
S C O T L A N D U K	The proliferation of utility and transport companies is confusing, since they all promise to offer the best and cheapest services, yet nothing actually seems better than the simpler times before everything was deregulated.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time.	You probably believe that higher taxes are necessary to fund better public services, but aren't too keen to actually pay them.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for most things you'd want to buy.	Many stores will take one or more of your credit cards.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
A U S T R A L I A	It seems natural to you that Qantas, Australia Post, the phone companies, the power companies, and the Commonwealth Bank are privately run-- but you can remember to the days of it working differently. Telstra you're not so sure about. The railways are run by the states, and that's not likely to change.	You wouldn't expect inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time.	You think a tax level over 40% is scandalously high.	About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.		The normal thing, when somebody dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
N E W Z E A L A N D	It seems natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, airlines, and power companies are privately run, and that there aren't any auto manufacturers any more. You might be concerned that all these companies are owned by foreigners, but you can't see things changing.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (over 10%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 33% for high earners is reasonable.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. The only things you expect to bargain for are cars, houses, and things sold at garage sales.	You can use your ATM card to make electronic purchases at stores and even withdraw money from their cash registers. Therefore you carry only a small amount of cash and use credit cards only for major purchases or for ordering things over the Internet.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
ASIA
I N D I A	It seems natural to you that the telephone system and railroads are either run by the government or by government enterprises; though things are changing towards more privatization.	You expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 15%) at the same time.		There is a lack of choices for almost anything you buy; but this never even strikes you until you visit the US. You expect to bargain for everything. When you offer a price, you aren't so much probing the seller's minimum, as signalling how much you really want the item.	Credit cards are unknown except in big and expensive stores in the big cities.	When a couple dies, there are different ways to handle the estate: (1) it passes on to the eldest son, (2) it is divided equally between the male progeny, or (3) it is divided equally among all their children.
C H I N A			You think a tax level of 10% is very high.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. You usually prefer to buy foreign products, because you believe they're of better quality. If you have the opportunity to publicly display your indulgence in foreign products, by, say, eating in a Häagen-Dazs restaurant, all the better. The things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, consumer electronics, clothing, food... If possible, you will haggle for just about anything. Haggling is to prevent you from being cheated or ripped off.	Credit cards are popular only in the big cities, although they are becoming more widely used even in the smaller cities. You tend to save most of your salary in the bank. And though credit cards are not very common, nearly everybody has an ATM card or three.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for the elder or the poorer among their children to get a larger piece of the estate.
J A P A N	It seems natural to you that the railroads, auto manufacturers, and airlines are privately run; some of the railways and airlines used to be government-owned, but they are providing better service after privatization. The utilities are private but strictly regulated regional monopolies, which again seems natural.	You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 5%) at the same time.	You think a tax level of 30% isn't all that bad, and chances are you don't think so much about it anyway because corporate workers don't have to file their tax returns-- their income taxes are deducted from salary. The only people who gripe about taxes are business owners and the self-employed.	You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. About the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.	Bigger stores will take your credit card. Small ones usually won't.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
N I G E R I A		You wouldn't expect both inflation and unemployment to be very high (say, over 100%) at the same time.	Tax? What tax?	You bargain for everything down to the salt you use to cook your food.		The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be given to the first male child - or the second, if he's wise enough to kill the first one soon after the death of his dad.
S O U T H A F R I C A	You're in favour of privatising State assets.	You pray that tourists will come back, because your country needs the economic boost.		You're used to a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy. The only things you expect to bargain for are houses. Cars have a fixed price. You might be able to bargain if you buy fruit and vegetables from informal traders, though.	All large shops, malls and chain stores take credit cards, but many don't accept cheques.
I S R A E L	It seems natural to you that the telephone system, railroads, and power companies are publicly run.	You worry about inflation and unemployment.	You think a tax level of 30% is high, but are somewhat reconciled to it.	In recent years, you've become more used to a wider variety of choices for things you buy. If you really want choice and value, though, you travel to Europe and the U.S. for shopping. Or even, just go to the duty-free shops in the airport in Tel Aviv - no taxes. If you buy a washing machine in a duty-free on your way out of the country for a trip, they will hold it at the store until you return. You can bargain for most things, but tend not to in established stores. Small shops are fair game, though.	Just about any larger store will take your credit card.	The normal thing, when a couple dies, is for their estate to be divided equally between their children.
T U R K E Y	You don't understand the whole privatization movement (telephone system, airlines, and power/utility companies etc.), especially since you know that corrupt politicians will make any profits disappear fast.	Both inflation and unemployment are very high, all the time. Because of inflation, everyone is a millionaire-- rightfully so. It is not difficult to be a milyarder (billionaire). It is highly likely that you are one.	You think a tax level of 50% is scandalously high.	You're used to having a wide variety of choices for almost anything you buy-- if you can afford it, of course. You always bargain for everything. After all, everyone who is in the selling business is a crook, and everything is always overpriced.	If you live in the city, just about any store will take your credit card.
SUBCULTURES
1 S T G E N I M M I G R A N T	You are indifferent to whether railroads, auto manufacturers, and airlines are privately run. What you want is affordable tickets and a steady job. However, from a philosophical point of view private is generally better (except British Rail which is private and atrocious and French Rail which is public and very good)	You don't mind if inflation and unemployment in your country of origin are very high (in 3 figures at least) because then you will get more for your hard currency when changing money and it gives you a psychological boost - for once in your life, you feel rich (and lucky not to be on the unemployment rolls along with your former schoolmates). However, its very different if you find you've moved to a country with high unemployment & inflation.	You think a tax level of 30% would be heaven (in France, overall tax levels generally start at around 35% and sneak up to well over 50% whilst in Sweden then rarely dip below 50%). However, you are prepared to put up with whatever the going rate is since, in many cases, you were forced to pay a tithe of half your revenues in your country of origin (and maybe even protection money or bribes to unpaid public servants).	You're flabbergasted by the wide variety of choices on offer for almost anything you could wish to buy (if only you could afford it).	Bigger stores may very well take credit cards ... but, so what, since you don't have one. Only later will you get a post office bank account with, first a cash, then a cheque book. To start off with, you live strictly in a cash economy.	The normal thing, when you die, is that your estate is divided very unequally between your legatees and the state: 1/6 (e = mathematical constant of approx. 2.718) for your legatees and 5/6 (state) for the state. These are called 'death duties' or 'inheritance taxes'.

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