RJF":ypwjimrf said:
ke2":ypwjimrf said:
RJF":ypwjimrf said:
JonVengeance":ypwjimrf said:
RJF":ypwjimrf said:
JonVengeance":ypwjimrf said:
Wow, where did you find that crap?
I just googled it. I don't know the source so I have no idea about the author and it appears to be an opinion piece. One thing is for certain though; Norway does have a high standard of living and appears to be doing well despite having socialist elements in place. Maybe socialism isn't evil, who knew?
Not evil, just stupid. On a large scale, socialism doesn't permanently work.
You might have a point concerning "large" here.
It has worked for centuries here, but it might be worth taking into consideration that we are 4,5 million people.
That`s a suburb of New York.
With few people and plenty of natural resources, socialism has worked fine. We like to call it democracy, though.
I don`t call myself a socialist, even if my values might be regarded as such from someone from another culture.
My compassion is just compassion, my agreement that health care should be free, is based upon that I might need the help sometime, and I can afford to join in on something that benefits the ones with less than me.
I don`t think me, or any of my fellow Norwegians in general can be considered "stupid", even if we might be considered socialists by someone on the outside
Most of the stuff in the article is correct (I skimmed it)
When a working woman has a baby, she is entitled to 12 months off work while taking care of the baby. I believe the Norwegian dads get 10 weeks (it was 6 when I got my youngest, but I know it`s changed)
The only health care that isn`t free, is dental. If you need to spend more than 2500 NOK a year in medicines, you get a "blue prescription" (not valid for all treatment, but most) which means you get the medicine you need.
You're country is indeed very small, which like I said makes a big difference. For socialism to work nearly all the participating members have to at least put in as much as they take out. When the coalition is small, it is easy for the slackers to stick out like a pink elephant, making it easier to hold them responsible for their own actions. In a larger society to many people are able to just use the system and get a free ride leaving the working to pay for their ride. This is the ever increasing problem that we are having here in the US. As more and more of these socialist programs are created by these liberal politicians, the more us working Americans have to pay for it out of our pockets.
NOTHING IS FREE my friend. Your healthcare is not in any way free. What do you pay in taxes over there? I do not support universal health care in any way shape or form. I would much rather pay my private insurer than the government for my health care, because it costs me much less and I get more for my money. No government agencies, bureaucrats, and red tape that sucks up a certain percentage of the money leaving the end user with limited resources for their actual care.
I support Capitalism and believe in the individual. Flat taxes, small government, and the right to bear arms. Every individual should be responsible for themselves. With that you get FREEDOM in it's purest form.
True, like I said, the ones with high wages pay high taxes, and by that contribute to the common good.
But if you need to get your foot sewn back on after an accident with a chainsaw, you don`t have to provide insurance papers to avoid having to sell your house to pay for the surgery.
The Norwegian way of thinking have in generations been "us", instead of "me".
We`re becoming more and more "me" here as well, so my sons will have to learn to be more cynical than I was when I was young
There are plenty of hard-working guys on this very board that lost their jobs after the hit last year. I guess that some of them maybe had to ease up on the health insurance to avoid losing their home etc? They can`t be held responsible for the entire situation, but still end up having to take the hit.
I`m free to do what I want to, I don`t really know what kind of freedom you as a person have, that I don`t? (Except for bearing arms, and that`s not really necessary for a working family man over here
)
I can travel wherever I want, I can call the prime minister an idiot in a newspaper interview... There have even been reports that people for aquitted in court for calling a police officer a dick, because that`s cultural, and wasn`t meant as a personal insult
I can buy just about anything I can afford, after I`ve taken care of my family...
The way I see it, our system is perfect for where I live, and most Norwegians seem to agree since they still live here.
And your system is perfect for where you live, since most US guys wouldn`t want to trade it for anything.
That`s really what matters, isn`t it?
Nobody from the outside can tell another person that their system doesn`t work, when it is so insanely clear from the inside that is does
Nobody I know lost their job as a cause of the economic crisis.
Everyone I know has gotten the medical help they need.
The systems have to been viewed "in general", there will always be singular cases that "prove" the opposite, but only children try to make it a general fact in a discussion.
Like the example with the
Somalian guy that was left in the park.
That was two people who made a bad judgement, not a failing system.
Nobodt should judge an entire folk or system for the mistake of one person.
I think the US has had politicians that made bad calls. I even went as far as thinking some of them have to be running on three cylinders.
Do I think that all Americans I know (from this board for example) are like that?
Certainly not!
I have people here @ RT who would have a bed in my home as long as they needed, and all the help I was able to provide, if they needed me in some way. I`ve known some of those guys since 2001 from HCAF, and consider them friends
