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568 Comments
- Adamande, on 11/22/2007, -8/+515I'm from Norway, and I would like to add that most of this is a result of the dreaded socialism some people here on Digg seem to have pretty one sided ideas about. It's not all bad always. Or at least it hasn't been for us. I also have to mention that we pay fairly high taxes for this so it's far from free, but I don't mind as long as our politicians keep distributing the money in a way that isn't too stupid. Like universal health care. It's just nice to know you won't be facing personal bankruptcy if you happen to need hospital treatment.
- MatCon5, on 11/22/2007, -16/+212Well, I guess I know where to run to when the rest of this god forsaken place goes to hell.
- morericeyo, on 11/22/2007, -9/+197this is great. lets make a base for all torrents in norway
Whats the worst that can happen?
Get thrown in prison and then have Unlimited Lan parties!
All your base are belong to us - purpmint008, on 11/22/2007, -20/+207The amount of change required to turn America into anything remotely like Norway is so great that its impossible, just impossible...
- had3l, on 11/22/2007, -8/+168Socialism! So wait a second, let me get this straight, this is what you get when you raise taxes, let the government manage your resources and prohibit gun ownership? I wonder what the Ron Paul crowd has to say about this (And I like Ron Paul too). I can't help but look at those countries and be extremely confused. Maybe its not about small government vs. big government, taxes, guns, liberals vs. conservatives after all.
It all comes down to corruption. If you have a corrupt system, where people are selfish, think they are better than the rest and do anything they can for money or power, you are gonna be in gutter, be it with socialism, communism or capitalism. On the other hand, if you have people who trust and respect their peers, are aware that their actions have consequences, treats everyone else fairly and equally and know they are part of a whole, be it capitalism, socialism or whatever, and the country you live in is going to be wonderfully great. - h0ser, on 11/22/2007, -5/+146This gives me hope for humanity.
- lxjordanxl2007, on 11/22/2007, -3/+132"What'd you do to get in here?"
"Oh well I murdered a couple with a chainsaw, I'm pretty much an chainsaw murderer."
"O yea, so what do you do now?"
"I use the same chainsaw to cut down trees in prison, its nice." - pu-z, on 11/22/2007, -0/+121OK; fact check:
1) Only people that suffer from a disease that carry a huge benefit from warm climate can apply for a yearly trip. Like chronic skin disease or bad arthritis. I can't. No way, no how even though my asthma can get really bad during the winter days with air pollution and minus 15 degrees C.
2) No, the government won't buy you a new car if you can't use the public transport. You get a partly, but strongly, subsidized car tailored to your needs. Usually for the paraplegic.
3) The shots of the hospital is at the newest hospital in Norway, Rikshospitalet. A nice hospital, but not representative. Most of them are OK, but some are really bad. They are almost all state funded and it's up to the management at the hospital to make it good or bad. And I've seen BAD hospital here. Feces smeared on the walls of the patients toilets kinda bad (and not cleaned for two days. Nice).
4) All the list facts are true.
5) Not all get the same benefits, you CAN buy a hospital bed at private hospitals if you want. If you have connections in the health care system, you can get quicker (but not better) treatment.
6) We don't have a life sentence, but we DO have "forvaring" and that can be a sentence for life. It has to be renewed every five years by a judge, to see if the prisoner is a danger to the public, though. A lot of people are serving this kind of punishment right now.
7) The poodle is either a drug sniffing dog, or that policeman is holding it for someone. Police dogs used in crowd control are badass Schäfers.
8) Most police do not carry guns. However, at all times a special police patrol in Oslo carry guns in their Suburban. They are like SWAT, only better trained. All police do need permission from the Police Chief or the duty officer to use them, unless it's in self defense. Police will carry weapons on dangerous assignments like drug busts, but NOT on patrol unless Clinton is visiting or something. There are a LOT of weapons there in Norway and low, low gun crime. This is due to better education on gun usage, stricter rules and a better gun culture where weapons are not self defense devices.
9) Norwegian conservative = American liberal, yes. Inge Lønning is a wise man.
10) The Norwegian drink hard in the weekends, it is called binge drinking and it is a huge problem. Violence, police shortage and a strained emergency service tries to cope with this almost every weekend.
11) Bastøy is an extremely low security prison. Norway's crime fall back rate is not bad, but to think Bastøy is an example of all prisons is ridiculous. Fun fact: Several prisoners from Eastern European countries have stated to Norwegian media that they view the prisons like an alternative vacation, and that's not the signal you want to send. Rehabilitation is good, but not at all costs. - Racerx52, on 11/22/2007, -14/+131Those taxes actually DO something though
- xxTazxx, on 11/22/2007, -2/+97I will, from today, start learning Norwegian. It will take time, but I will get there.
- pu-z, on 11/22/2007, -2/+96I live there too. And, yes, it is the oil that made this nation tick. If you look at our neighbors, Sweden, Denmark and Finland (leaving out Russia), they all struggle to maintain the welfare state, while don't. They all tackle the problem in different manners, while we have the great luxury of the oil. Sweden is facing a near collapse of the welfare state, Denmark is maintaining it rather well due to a strong economy and Finland were wise to limit the spending at an early stage.
The biggest argument in Norway is about the money in the Petroleum Fund, as it is called. This is a state fund, managed by private banks, where the oil surplus is invested. For a small nation like us, it is an enormous amount of money (369 billion USD) and we all have at least ten really good ideas on how to spend it. But we all know we can't since it's the pension fund and the boomers are coming.
All in all, we live a pretty good life here. You can't expect a single room at the hospital, and people have gone bankrupt due to sickness but at an astonishing low rate compared to the US. If you get sick, the odds are probably bette in Norway (if seen as an average across all income classes). Not perfect, and it will probably never be, but good enough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Petroleum_Fund_of ... - Tenetri, on 11/22/2007, -8/+80nothings impossible, may take longer than our lifetime to fix what America's ***** up, but it sure as ***** isn't impossible.
- Racerx52, on 11/22/2007, -5/+72Would something like 1+ Trillion do it?
You're right, Better spent destroying countries across the world.
Americas fat ***** hungers - Cam_86, on 11/22/2007, -5/+71Yeah, I don't mind half of my income going to programs that help the country, of foreign nations(cause Norway is also one if the biggest per-captia downers). Better then losing the ~33% in America, a sizable portion of which goes to fund wars, build bridges to no where, and help prop up some of the greediest, most evil corporations in the world.
- fl4me, on 11/22/2007, -7/+66I'm from Norway, and yeah, it really is that great. High taxes are worth it.
- Phasmorphage, on 11/22/2007, -8/+64Screw Canada, I'm moving to Norway!
- BodomX, on 11/22/2007, -1/+52But with Healthcare and education etc. Wouldn't you be paying almost the same anyways.
- Godel, on 11/22/2007, -9/+59The UK: Safe under watchful eyes.
- inactive, on 11/22/2007, -51/+98This is true, Europe is a far better place to live in America. Basically if you have a flu in the States you need to mortgage your house. Thank god I live in the UK. I don't even know if the US should really be considered 1st world anymore - it's incredibly dangerous (compared to more civilized countries), dirty, corrupt, etc.
- FlapJaw, on 11/22/2007, -4/+48Norway is the way to go
- Velirno, on 11/22/2007, -2/+46Yes but those taxes are mostly spent on things to help the tax-payer live comfortably.
- perandre, on 11/22/2007, -2/+46Ja, vi elsker dette landet!
- buckrogers1965, on 11/22/2007, -1/+42Add it up, that is less than you pay for all your insurance and the hidden half of the taxes your company pays in your name.
- dys2k7, on 11/22/2007, -11/+5154% for a better life is nothing. The world #1 issue is greedy bastards taht want all the money.
It's all about sharing, this is socialism. This is humanism. And that was christianism, before. - HalfGiraffe, on 11/22/2007, -2/+41Don't bother. Norwegians I've met speak better English than the average American.
- fjolle, on 11/22/2007, -2/+40Sorry to dissappoint you, but all the money from the oil is going into a fund ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Petroleum_Fund_of ... )
- Bamborzled, on 11/23/2007, -1/+381. "apauling"... Freudian slip there?
2. "54% tax rate": 28-54% tax rate.
3. "income redistribution": The government isn't throwing money at poor people, it's providing them with services.
4. "and the crazies.. murders and rapists run around at a day camp": They seem really happy doing it. But of course they can't be rehabilitated at all. They're all evil people from when they were born.
5. "over-the-top-extreme-liberal dems": OK, some of the things are over the top, but "liberal dems"? Is that another slip of your agenda? BTW, this is in Norway.
6. And finally, ellipses do not a well-respected, structured, well-thought argument make. - supdigga, on 11/22/2007, -2/+38where's the hot women
- Derferman, on 11/22/2007, -4/+39After watching this video and doing a small bit of research, I can only come to the conclusion that a small federal government is the best path for the future of America. Norway is home to 4.1 million people and encompasses 148,746 sq miles. In comparison, California houses 33 million people and encompasses roughly the same area. The United States holds 300 million people and spans 3,793,079 sq miles. America governs 75 times more people and 25 times more land. Obviously Norway can better dole out funds and help its people. This argument should not be about capitalism versus socialism, but local government versus federal government. How can you ever expect a government in charge of 300 million people to understand your personal issues or your problems? It's unrealistic. Hopefully we will stop looking to the federal government for cure-alls and instead looks for local government solutions, where an intimate connection can actually be possible.
- N00F, on 11/22/2007, -2/+37I have a feeling they probably wouldn't want your sorry ass in their paradise.
- Lazer32, on 11/22/2007, -5/+39Proud to be Norwegian!
- ussoldier, on 11/22/2007, -4/+37If American's did away with the US military, or trimmed it down to 5% of its current oscene budget size, America would blossom like a new Renaissance, and we'd have enough $ and where with all to match Norway or even better. And the world would be a far safer place. Most American's don't realize it, but their country is being bankrupted hard into the ground by the military industrial complex and corrupt local police and court systems. And I mean so hard, at this rate, it will never recover, and its just going to be a vassal state of richer countries and multinational corporations who snatch up the franschises that line the blacktop in every replicated spiritually devoid auto dominated mainstreet strip in every town. Go anywhere in America and it already looks the same... the same old crap of fast food joints, gas stations, stores, and franchises everywhere... unsustainable without an automobile to get around.
- spudnic, on 11/22/2007, -6/+36You don't think it would be a good thing for police not to need to carry guns?
Imagine a perfect society, are there police walking around with guns in it? - spyd3rweb, on 11/22/2007, -0/+28Yeah don't waste money making ours better, just make everyone else's worse by bombing it... that'll show them.
- magnusbe, on 11/23/2007, -2/+29Way to read a statistic. It says between 28% and 54%. I've never paid more than 36%.
- scarwars, on 11/23/2007, -4/+30it's a shame you'll never understand how pathetic you sound..
- pu-z, on 11/23/2007, -1/+27Digg ate my long comment but here's a recap:
Norway have a lot of immigration, from the whole world 8,9% of the population are immigrants or born of two immigrants in Norway, 24% of Oslo is immigrant. This is mostly people from Sweden, Denmark, US, Pakistan, Somalia, and other countries. Source SSB, fact central of Norway.
Norwegians LOVE Americans. We are very, very grateful for the support during WWII and the Marshal help. Hell, you'd even see dorky Christmas lights, amcars, cowboy hats out in the boonies.
We do, however, hate your current administration. We think, and this is the wast part of the population, that Bush is a fraud and a danger to the US and the world in general. Norway is leftist, but this is something 95% plus agree on. Norwegians would argue about who's better; Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich, but find common ground on hating Bush.
Norwegians are extremely tolerant, and racism is practically non-existent in the native population. We have all been taught to respect all peoples of the plante like the hippies we are. So get your brown ass over here, and I'll buy you a really expensive beer in Oslo. However, if you're douchebag, don't expect me to call back. We are very bad at keeping up false apperances. Also, we are very, very shy so if noone speaks to you when you're in Oslo, it's not because of the colour. You could be Heidi Klum and we'd be just as mum. Buy us a beer first, and we're best friends. - mnmleon, on 11/22/2007, -0/+26:)
- blindmelon1, on 11/22/2007, -1/+26Your metal kicks ass m/ !!!!!!!!
- demonsnake69, on 11/22/2007, -1/+25Norway sounds like a really awesome place to live in, but I only saw white people (I'm guessing native Norwegians or at least Europeans) in that clip. If my brown ass lived down there I'm sure I'd enjoy the same quality of life as everyone else, though at the same time my neighbors wouldn't really get along with me.
If my comment is ignorant, don't digg me down -- instead maybe a Norwegian could tell me what the real deal is in terms of peoples of different cultures living in Norway. - 0livero, on 11/22/2007, -4/+27In my area of the states things are incredibly safe. No gangs, minimal theft. No one locks their doors. My area is like Mayberry from the Andy Griffith Show. I suppose you could say it is dirty, I live on a dirt road, but it's one the last, and it's only a tenth of a mile long, so it isn't so bad. We're very progressive as well! Just got our second red light. Go us!
- sgtpppr, on 11/22/2007, -4/+27The negative with socialism is the fact it puts more power into the hands of the gov't. If the gov't actually cares for its people and does what's right, it works out great like in Norway. I would hardly say the US gov't is trustworthy or competent enough to run even more important aspects of domestic life. Americans do not love other americans and they certainly don't care to donate to a central cause to ensure everyone has enough of what they need. We have a gov't that is in the 20% area of approval. I'm not sure talking about giving them more power and more responsibility is the solution is what we should be doing now.
- OssianHanning, on 11/22/2007, -10/+32Uhm... You say it like it's a bad thing.
- Velirno, on 11/22/2007, -0/+22I think they actually know English pretty well over there. Much like a lot of Europe.
- MonarchWastxD, on 11/22/2007, -2/+22your ratio is well off. 2tril:13tril... but our populations are: 60 million, 300 million... we have 1 fifth the population and 1fifth your gdp. CHECK AND MATE.
- pu-z, on 11/22/2007, -0/+20Not, not all the money. We spend A LOT of it on an annual basis, but even more goes into the fund.
- Adamande, on 11/22/2007, -0/+20Good post, but I disagree on the importance of oil other than for the pure economic wealth. (And like you point out, most of the oil-money isn't used anyway. It just sits in a fund.) The reason our system works is not that we're rich, but that we have politicians who actually spend our riches on what the people agree on to be the right things (for the most part.) Look at Saudi Arabia for example. Has tons more oil than us, but their social programs do not hold up against ours in the least bit.
- pu-z, on 11/22/2007, -1/+21In Norway, the government do pay for a tropical (or warm climate) stay if you suffer from diseases that benefit from a stay in the warm climate.
- Azimuth1, on 11/22/2007, -10/+30Anti-UK flaming in 3.. 2.. 1..
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