What do we have in return? Well lets see:

Free transportation (train/tram/bus) for children and pensioners.
Free education, exept for university students, that costs +/- 600 €/year.
If a doctor comes at my home in the middle of the night during the weekends it costs me 10 € max (we have to pay more but our almost free insurance pays most of it back within a week).
When it comes to healthcare we have a thing called 'maximum invoice', especially for people who are sick for longer periods. That's to make sure that no one becomes poor because they are sick.
Last year i've stayed in a hospital for about 9 days. I had to pay about 100€ in total.
If you have a baby, the mother gets 3 months leave (fully paid) and the father 10 days (but that will change - as from next year the parents can choose who stays at home).
If you get fired you get 90% of your salary the first year, after that you'll have a minimum (around 1250 usd)
We have a thing called 'the right to have a home', so even when you have no income (which really doesn't exist in Belgium) you still will be given a home. Of course there are still homeless people but that's mostly because of alcohol problems and people who don't want help (those people exist too).
When you're sick, the first week your salary will be fully paid by your employer, after that you'll be paid 90% of your salary by the state.
Because I'm self employed my healthcare insurance (full coverage) costs me 600 euro's (whole family) per year, as an employee it's less than 100 €/year.
And of course there is our pension, and that too is 90% of what you earned the last year you worked (but there's a maximum on that, same for when you're sick or fired).
And there's lots more. That's why I really don't mind that I have to pay that much taxes. I love the fact that when the going gets tough, you'll be looked after.

another positive thing, say when you're fired and you don't find a job within 3 months you'll get guidance (to find a new job) or you can study again (for free and you'll keep 90% of your salary or a maximum of 1900 USD, I think it is).


And still people dare to complain...