I am a Danish school teacher

[francoHFW]

Pubs have been practicing class warfare for thirty years, ruining the nonrich and the country, Pub dupe. You know nothing about me, you have about 4 hater talking points to cover everything lol....see sig pp1.

 

[thereisnospoon]

We're trying to IMPROVE our country- mainly by changing greedy, stupid Pub policy, and end their bs propaganda that produces hater dupes like you...looking at other, happier countries could end your ugly American ignorance...

And turn it into a socialist disaster where everyone is equally miserable

 

[Flopper]

That is all true, (my wife and I have a nice flat in Paris, we travel to Europe frequently) however, it doesn't address the points I made.

When you say exception to the rule, what do you mean?

Socialism, like they enjoy in Denmark, can only exist in certain very special circumstances. They are a country of 5 million packed into an area the size of a large city, they produce 235 million barrels of oil PER DAY, the majority of what they produce is high tech and services the oil industry or is exported out to help other oil companies and high tech manufacturing.

Show me another country in the world like that.

Denmark is not unique.
Norway with an oil production of 1998,000 bbl/day is one of top 10 most socialist countries and there population is about the same as Denmark. It has universal, socialized health care, a universal socialized pension system, and universal socialized education. There are virtually no private schools or private hospitals in the entire country. Unemployment is rare at 3.5% however, if you lose your job you can look forward to 500 days of unemployment benefits at 85% of your salary. Employee benefits are among the best in the world, paid maternity leave is over 300 days, paid health insurance, minimum of 25 days vacation a year, and generous sick leave benefits, disability, and a paid retirement.

Government debt as percent of GDP is over twice as good as the US and they have a better credit rating, not bad for a welfare state.

What Norwegian Socialism Looks Like | Inc.com
List of countries by credit rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of countries by oil production - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[westwall]

When you say exception to the rule, what do you mean?

Socialism, like they enjoy in Denmark, can only exist in certain very special circumstances. They are a country of 5 million packed into an area the size of a large city, they produce 235 million barrels of oil PER DAY, the majority of what they produce is high tech and services the oil industry or is exported out to help other oil companies and high tech manufacturing.

Show me another country in the world like that.

Denmark is not unique.
Norway with an oil production of 1998,000 bbl/day is one of top 10 most socialist countries and there population is about the same as Denmark. It has universal, socialized health care, a universal socialized pension system, and universal socialized education. There are virtually no private schools or private hospitals in the entire country. Unemployment is rare at 3.5% however, if you lose your job you can look forward to 500 days of unemployment benefits at 85% of your salary. Employee benefits are among the best in the world, paid maternity leave is over 300 days, paid health insurance, minimum of 25 days vacation a year, and generous sick leave benefits, disability, and a paid retirement.

Government debt as percent of GDP is over twice as good as the US and they have a better credit rating, not bad for a welfare state.

What Norwegian Socialism Looks Like | Inc.com
List of countries by credit rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of countries by oil production - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They don't however have the manufacturing base that Denmark has and the majority of their work is dedicated to the oil industry.....oh, hmmm, look at that will ya...oil. Yes natural resources are the saving grace for Norway as well as Denmark.

Norway's unemployment rate is what 3.6%? and Sweden's is 8.2?, the difference being oil.

Norway is nice, no doubt about it. But there are cracks starting to form in its social structure. It is nearly the same as Denmark though, the one difference is the size. It's the size that causes Norway's problems.

 

[Zander]

Norway!! It's a workers paradise!!

Moving to Norway for Social Benefits:

Some people want to come to Norway because they think the government will support them with social benefits. However, in Norway, the attitude is that everyone is a worker and pulls their own load. Even though this is a ‘socialist’ country, ‘equal rights’ has gone far beyond ‘rights’ and many choices are hindered to try and make everyone ‘equal’. If a Norwegian has to work for their food and keep, so do you.

Social Welfare/National Insurance Scheme
Some people become a little excited about the Social Welfare System in Norway. They think they will receive good benefits freely especially if they want to have kids here. However, there are many conditions on Welfare and unfortunately this information is generally only in Norwegian.

Unemployment Benefits
For Job Welfare/Unemployment Benefits, (meaning you have lost your job and want to claim financial support), you need to be a resident (meaning, at least, holding a Residency Permit), have worked for a certain period of time (normally a year in a full time job), earning a certain amount of money and paying tax, before you can claim. Unemployment benefit only entitles you to a percentage of your previous wage and after a year you are cut off unless for good reasons like injury. After a certain period ‘on the dole’ you are required to attend job seeking courses. NAV, the national job centre, can even choose a job for you – cleaner, garbologist, waiter – and you are also expected to up and move anywhere in the country for any job otherwise you can be cut off from unemployment welfare payments. Now all these ‘benefits’ are dependent on your Permit status in Norway and many ‘new-movers’ do not qualify.

Having A Baby for Permits and Welfare
I’ve seen some ‘new-movers’ (especially students) think that as soon as they get in the border they will have a baby to help them stay in the country. They think their new born will be a Norwegian citizen. However, this is not the case. Children born in Norway to non-Norwegian citizens do not automatically become Norwegian citizens. They will hold the citizenship of their parents home country. Only when one of the parents is Norwegian can a child be born Norwegian. So this method of having a baby to try to stay in the country and claim benefits is not feasible.

Medical benefits are granted to all residents of Norway but as a ‘new-mover’ this is conditional on your entry to Norway. Each person is expected to pay up to kr. 2000,- a year in appointments before the ‘free’ Medical Benefits kick in. If you do not have a social number you will have to pay for your own medical fees. To get all the medical benefits you need to be a contributing member of the National Insurance scheme, meaning you earn enough money and have paid tax for at least 12 months. Children and pregnancy related medical appointments are free. Dentistry is not covered under the National Insurance Scheme and usually range between kr. 600-1000,- for general consultations. NOTE: A good amount of people get depression during the dark season and insomnia during the light season. This problem is not really addressed in Norway. Mental health is only recognised if a person has a serious condition such as autism. There is generally no services for anyone to see a therapist for emotional or life issues.
Pension Benefits
The basic Pension Benefits from the government (for retirement) are granted to those who are Settlement Permit/Permanent Permit holders, meaning you permanently live in Norway. (To get a Settlement Permit you must have lived in Norway for three years and attended at least 300 hours of Norwegian Classes.) Norway will only grant a basic pension from the time you have lived in the country. The rest of your pension will need to come from the other countries you have worked/lived in. If you have worked in Norway you will be granted more according to your average wage. The basic pension is similar to a students income. This is one of the reasons many Norwegians retire to Spain to try and stretch their money further. There are so many Norwegian retirees there that the prime minister even goes there to campaign. If you want things like a car, good food and a nice place to live you will need to work to add to your basic pension.

Moving to Norway for Wages and Work Conditions:

Some people read about how high the wages are in Norway and get all droolly. In Norway a bottom end wage is about kr. 240,000,- For most countries that seems a lot but in Norway you can just scrape by on that for one person. The poverty level is considered below kr. 215,000,-. A comfortable wage for a single person would be about kr. 300, 000. A beginner teachers wage is about kr, 320,000 – 350,000. Higher than that you need to be in management, business, computing, oil, or have at least a Masters Degree. But what ‘new-movers’ don’t consider are the money drainers – you need to consider the cost of living in Norway:

Tax in Norway
Tax is very high in Norway. It needs to be in order to provide all the great Social Welfare Benefits. The lowest tax you will pay if you have a kr. 250,000 p.a. job is 36%. That is over a third of your wage gone to the tax-man.
Accommodation in Norway
A one bedroom apartment in Oslo to rent is at least kr, 72,000 p.a (about US$14,000 p.a). It can be very difficult to find a place to live unless you are willing to hand over the money. (Even students have to spend months in university bunkers until they can find a place to live.) The other thing about renting is that you are often expected to pay three to six months rent up front and when you leave it is normal to give 3 months notice. This can make moving costly and sometimes frustrates life if you get a job in another city. Rent doesn’t usually include utilities if in a separate apartment. Heating costs, especially in Winter, will suck up a lot of money and can equal 20% of your rent.
Food in Norway
Norway has to import a lot of food and the import taxes are outrageous. In order to save money you have to learn how to eat like a Norwegian otherwise you will be spending a fortune. Simple everyday items are very pricey – capsicum/sweet peppers can be kr.50-70,- per kilo in the winter which is about US$10-14. Eating out is certainly a luxury. One large pizza at a restaurant is on average kr.250,- or about $50. A large MacDonalds meal is around kr.120 – thats about US$20 for a (squished) burger, fries and coke. Food will be one of a ‘new-mover’s’ killer costs.
Transport in Norway
To get anywhere in Norway it costs a lot of money. Catching a bus for a day can at least set you back kr. 50,- ($10). It is easy to walk but you will not survive the Winters unless you ski/sled everywhere. Because Norway is long and has a lot of mountain ranges it is essential to fly from city to city. Buying a car in Norway (kr.250,000,- for a basic new station-wagon is about $50,000) has very high taxes and don’t even think about buying one in a cheaper country and driving it over as you will also be lumped with import taxes.
Work Conditions
Work conditions are very good in Norway. The general hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. It is rare to get overtime. You are expected to socialise, are pressured to join the union and generally have to take your holidays in one big lump during Summer. If you don’t speak Norwegian you will usually be under contract to know the language by a certain time which is very hard to do as everyone will just speak English to you. I know of a few university lecturers that are finding this extremely hard and are worried about their future employment.
Moving to Norway Unemployed
A lot of ‘new-movers’ think they can get a job after they have moved to Norway – very bad idea. If you do not have your Permits in place you are unemployable. Usually if you do not know fluent Norwegian you will not be employed unless you are a specialist in your field. Being a ‘specialist’ means that there is no one in Norway that can do what you do. However, if you do find an employer to employ you without your permits you will likely have to leave Norway to get your full-time employer to take all the necessary legal steps for your immigration and that usually means you cannot enter Norway until your employment application has been approved by UDI. However, UDI has been trying to make the process quicker and there are some exceptions. If employers don’t follow these rules then they could pay hefty fines for ‘illegally’ employing you. You can never expect to just ‘walk’ into a job here in Norway.

So as you can see, ‘new-movers’ will need to be financially stable in order to wait out the gaps – it is good to have at least six months worth of moving-to-Norway-savings. Even if you are employed from the get-go you are likely to wait a month before you get your first full pay check as most wages are paid monthly in Norway. You cannot get paid unless you have a bank account and you cannot get a bank account if you don’t have a social number. To get a social number you have to be approved by UDI. Quiet often this domino effect straps people for cash. A few employers provide financial relocation packages and a short term place for you to stay but this is only for certain employees. If you want internet, a phone, cable, you have to play the waiting game.

Moving to Norway for Free Education:

Education is certainly an attraction to moving to Norway as schools and universities are State run which are free. The other schools are generally ‘international’ or ‘cultural’ in which you can pay through the nose. Even though university is free, practically all undergraduate courses require you to have passed Norwegian at high school level. There are subjects that don’t require Norwegian but 99.9% of bachelor courses have core subjects that teach and exam in Norwegian. This is because every course requires a pass in core philosophy, which is a Norwegian language subject. However, you do not need Norwegian language for Master and PhD programs – although for some study areas you will be limited in choice.

Even though education is free, living is certainly not. Most Norwegian students have to take a loan out from the government to pay for living expenses unless they can still live with their parents. The loan is equivalent to the cost of a university education anyway – and in Norway that is a big debt! At least kr.80,000 per year (US$17,000) and when you consider the poverty level wage is kr.215,000 it is evident that families struggle greatly when a spouse studies. However, a lot of ‘new-movers’ do not qualify for such support. If you complete the course some of the loan is turned into a grant. People who can apply for student loans are: Political Refugees, those married to a Norwegian Citizen, Family Reunification Permit holders, children under 19, those who have had full-time employment for at least 24 months and those who have already studied in Norway with their own finances for at least three years. This sounds all fine and dandy but then you have to pay the loan back with interest. If you plan to one day move back to a cheaper country (like Australia) you can almost guarantee to be paying the loan back until you die. Only richer countries like Norway will enable you to pay off your loan in a decent time.

http://mylittlenorway.com/2010/04/do-you-really-want-to-live-in-norway/

 

[RandallFlagg]

Norway!! It's a workers paradise!!

Moving to Norway for Social Benefits:

Some people want to come to Norway because they think the government will support them with social benefits. However, in Norway, the attitude is that everyone is a worker and pulls their own load. Even though this is a ‘socialist’ country, ‘equal rights’ has gone far beyond ‘rights’ and many choices are hindered to try and make everyone ‘equal’. If a Norwegian has to work for their food and keep, so do you.

Social Welfare/National Insurance Scheme
Some people become a little excited about the Social Welfare System in Norway. They think they will receive good benefits freely especially if they want to have kids here. However, there are many conditions on Welfare and unfortunately this information is generally only in Norwegian.

Unemployment Benefits
For Job Welfare/Unemployment Benefits, (meaning you have lost your job and want to claim financial support), you need to be a resident (meaning, at least, holding a Residency Permit), have worked for a certain period of time (normally a year in a full time job), earning a certain amount of money and paying tax, before you can claim. Unemployment benefit only entitles you to a percentage of your previous wage and after a year you are cut off unless for good reasons like injury. After a certain period ‘on the dole’ you are required to attend job seeking courses. NAV, the national job centre, can even choose a job for you – cleaner, garbologist, waiter – and you are also expected to up and move anywhere in the country for any job otherwise you can be cut off from unemployment welfare payments. Now all these ‘benefits’ are dependent on your Permit status in Norway and many ‘new-movers’ do not qualify.

Having A Baby for Permits and Welfare
I’ve seen some ‘new-movers’ (especially students) think that as soon as they get in the border they will have a baby to help them stay in the country. They think their new born will be a Norwegian citizen. However, this is not the case. Children born in Norway to non-Norwegian citizens do not automatically become Norwegian citizens. They will hold the citizenship of their parents home country. Only when one of the parents is Norwegian can a child be born Norwegian. So this method of having a baby to try to stay in the country and claim benefits is not feasible.

Medical benefits are granted to all residents of Norway but as a ‘new-mover’ this is conditional on your entry to Norway. Each person is expected to pay up to kr. 2000,- a year in appointments before the ‘free’ Medical Benefits kick in. If you do not have a social number you will have to pay for your own medical fees. To get all the medical benefits you need to be a contributing member of the National Insurance scheme, meaning you earn enough money and have paid tax for at least 12 months. Children and pregnancy related medical appointments are free. Dentistry is not covered under the National Insurance Scheme and usually range between kr. 600-1000,- for general consultations. NOTE: A good amount of people get depression during the dark season and insomnia during the light season. This problem is not really addressed in Norway. Mental health is only recognised if a person has a serious condition such as autism. There is generally no services for anyone to see a therapist for emotional or life issues.
Pension Benefits
The basic Pension Benefits from the government (for retirement) are granted to those who are Settlement Permit/Permanent Permit holders, meaning you permanently live in Norway. (To get a Settlement Permit you must have lived in Norway for three years and attended at least 300 hours of Norwegian Classes.) Norway will only grant a basic pension from the time you have lived in the country. The rest of your pension will need to come from the other countries you have worked/lived in. If you have worked in Norway you will be granted more according to your average wage. The basic pension is similar to a students income. This is one of the reasons many Norwegians retire to Spain to try and stretch their money further. There are so many Norwegian retirees there that the prime minister even goes there to campaign. If you want things like a car, good food and a nice place to live you will need to work to add to your basic pension.

Moving to Norway for Wages and Work Conditions:

Some people read about how high the wages are in Norway and get all droolly. In Norway a bottom end wage is about kr. 240,000,- For most countries that seems a lot but in Norway you can just scrape by on that for one person. The poverty level is considered below kr. 215,000,-. A comfortable wage for a single person would be about kr. 300, 000. A beginner teachers wage is about kr, 320,000 – 350,000. Higher than that you need to be in management, business, computing, oil, or have at least a Masters Degree. But what ‘new-movers’ don’t consider are the money drainers – you need to consider the cost of living in Norway:

Tax in Norway
Tax is very high in Norway. It needs to be in order to provide all the great Social Welfare Benefits. The lowest tax you will pay if you have a kr. 250,000 p.a. job is 36%. That is over a third of your wage gone to the tax-man.
Accommodation in Norway
A one bedroom apartment in Oslo to rent is at least kr, 72,000 p.a (about US$14,000 p.a). It can be very difficult to find a place to live unless you are willing to hand over the money. (Even students have to spend months in university bunkers until they can find a place to live.) The other thing about renting is that you are often expected to pay three to six months rent up front and when you leave it is normal to give 3 months notice. This can make moving costly and sometimes frustrates life if you get a job in another city. Rent doesn’t usually include utilities if in a separate apartment. Heating costs, especially in Winter, will suck up a lot of money and can equal 20% of your rent.
Food in Norway
Norway has to import a lot of food and the import taxes are outrageous. In order to save money you have to learn how to eat like a Norwegian otherwise you will be spending a fortune. Simple everyday items are very pricey – capsicum/sweet peppers can be kr.50-70,- per kilo in the winter which is about US$10-14. Eating out is certainly a luxury. One large pizza at a restaurant is on average kr.250,- or about $50. A large MacDonalds meal is around kr.120 – thats about US$20 for a (squished) burger, fries and coke. Food will be one of a ‘new-mover’s’ killer costs.
Transport in Norway
To get anywhere in Norway it costs a lot of money. Catching a bus for a day can at least set you back kr. 50,- ($10). It is easy to walk but you will not survive the Winters unless you ski/sled everywhere. Because Norway is long and has a lot of mountain ranges it is essential to fly from city to city. Buying a car in Norway (kr.250,000,- for a basic new station-wagon is about $50,000) has very high taxes and don’t even think about buying one in a cheaper country and driving it over as you will also be lumped with import taxes.
Work Conditions
Work conditions are very good in Norway. The general hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. It is rare to get overtime. You are expected to socialise, are pressured to join the union and generally have to take your holidays in one big lump during Summer. If you don’t speak Norwegian you will usually be under contract to know the language by a certain time which is very hard to do as everyone will just speak English to you. I know of a few university lecturers that are finding this extremely hard and are worried about their future employment.
Moving to Norway Unemployed
A lot of ‘new-movers’ think they can get a job after they have moved to Norway – very bad idea. If you do not have your Permits in place you are unemployable. Usually if you do not know fluent Norwegian you will not be employed unless you are a specialist in your field. Being a ‘specialist’ means that there is no one in Norway that can do what you do. However, if you do find an employer to employ you without your permits you will likely have to leave Norway to get your full-time employer to take all the necessary legal steps for your immigration and that usually means you cannot enter Norway until your employment application has been approved by UDI. However, UDI has been trying to make the process quicker and there are some exceptions. If employers don’t follow these rules then they could pay hefty fines for ‘illegally’ employing you. You can never expect to just ‘walk’ into a job here in Norway.

So as you can see, ‘new-movers’ will need to be financially stable in order to wait out the gaps – it is good to have at least six months worth of moving-to-Norway-savings. Even if you are employed from the get-go you are likely to wait a month before you get your first full pay check as most wages are paid monthly in Norway. You cannot get paid unless you have a bank account and you cannot get a bank account if you don’t have a social number. To get a social number you have to be approved by UDI. Quiet often this domino effect straps people for cash. A few employers provide financial relocation packages and a short term place for you to stay but this is only for certain employees. If you want internet, a phone, cable, you have to play the waiting game.

Moving to Norway for Free Education:

Education is certainly an attraction to moving to Norway as schools and universities are State run which are free. The other schools are generally ‘international’ or ‘cultural’ in which you can pay through the nose. Even though university is free, practically all undergraduate courses require you to have passed Norwegian at high school level. There are subjects that don’t require Norwegian but 99.9% of bachelor courses have core subjects that teach and exam in Norwegian. This is because every course requires a pass in core philosophy, which is a Norwegian language subject. However, you do not need Norwegian language for Master and PhD programs – although for some study areas you will be limited in choice.

Even though education is free, living is certainly not. Most Norwegian students have to take a loan out from the government to pay for living expenses unless they can still live with their parents. The loan is equivalent to the cost of a university education anyway – and in Norway that is a big debt! At least kr.80,000 per year (US$17,000) and when you consider the poverty level wage is kr.215,000 it is evident that families struggle greatly when a spouse studies. However, a lot of ‘new-movers’ do not qualify for such support. If you complete the course some of the loan is turned into a grant. People who can apply for student loans are: Political Refugees, those married to a Norwegian Citizen, Family Reunification Permit holders, children under 19, those who have had full-time employment for at least 24 months and those who have already studied in Norway with their own finances for at least three years. This sounds all fine and dandy but then you have to pay the loan back with interest. If you plan to one day move back to a cheaper country (like Australia) you can almost guarantee to be paying the loan back until you die. Only richer countries like Norway will enable you to pay off your loan in a decent time.

Do You Really Want To Live In Norway? - My Little Norway

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't Norway very similar to Iceland in that they do not allow "Auslanders" (outsiders) into their country for anything but temporary reasons?

Guess that throws a wrench into Americans (and especially wetbacks) immigrating to Norway...

 

[francoHFW]

or the EU...

 

[Zander]

I do love the show *Lillyhammer....it's hilarious!!

*Netflix original

 

[Flopper]

Socialism, like they enjoy in Denmark, can only exist in certain very special circumstances. They are a country of 5 million packed into an area the size of a large city, they produce 235 million barrels of oil PER DAY, the majority of what they produce is high tech and services the oil industry or is exported out to help other oil companies and high tech manufacturing.

Show me another country in the world like that.

Denmark is not unique.
Norway with an oil production of 1998,000 bbl/day is one of top 10 most socialist countries and there population is about the same as Denmark. It has universal, socialized health care, a universal socialized pension system, and universal socialized education. There are virtually no private schools or private hospitals in the entire country. Unemployment is rare at 3.5% however, if you lose your job you can look forward to 500 days of unemployment benefits at 85% of your salary. Employee benefits are among the best in the world, paid maternity leave is over 300 days, paid health insurance, minimum of 25 days vacation a year, and generous sick leave benefits, disability, and a paid retirement.

Government debt as percent of GDP is over twice as good as the US and they have a better credit rating, not bad for a welfare state.

What Norwegian Socialism Looks Like | Inc.com
List of countries by credit rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of countries by oil production - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They don't however have the manufacturing base that Denmark has and the majority of their work is dedicated to the oil industry.....oh, hmmm, look at that will ya...oil. Yes natural resources are the saving grace for Norway as well as Denmark.

Norway's unemployment rate is what 3.6%? and Sweden's is 8.2?, the difference being oil.

Norway is nice, no doubt about it. But there are cracks starting to form in its social structure. It is nearly the same as Denmark though, the one difference is the size. It's the size that causes Norway's problems.

If they have cracks in their social structure, we have canyons running through ours. It all boils down to how a nation choose to use it's resources and economic output.

 

[westwall]

Denmark is not unique.
Norway with an oil production of 1998,000 bbl/day is one of top 10 most socialist countries and there population is about the same as Denmark. It has universal, socialized health care, a universal socialized pension system, and universal socialized education. There are virtually no private schools or private hospitals in the entire country. Unemployment is rare at 3.5% however, if you lose your job you can look forward to 500 days of unemployment benefits at 85% of your salary. Employee benefits are among the best in the world, paid maternity leave is over 300 days, paid health insurance, minimum of 25 days vacation a year, and generous sick leave benefits, disability, and a paid retirement.

Government debt as percent of GDP is over twice as good as the US and they have a better credit rating, not bad for a welfare state.

What Norwegian Socialism Looks Like | Inc.com
List of countries by credit rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of countries by oil production - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They don't however have the manufacturing base that Denmark has and the majority of their work is dedicated to the oil industry.....oh, hmmm, look at that will ya...oil. Yes natural resources are the saving grace for Norway as well as Denmark.

Norway's unemployment rate is what 3.6%? and Sweden's is 8.2?, the difference being oil.

Norway is nice, no doubt about it. But there are cracks starting to form in its social structure. It is nearly the same as Denmark though, the one difference is the size. It's the size that causes Norway's problems.

If they have cracks in their social structure, we have canyons running through ours. It all boils down to how a nation choose to use it's resources and economic output.

Yes, there is no doubt about that. So why then do the progressives interfere with our ability to exploit OUR natural resources at every turn?

 

[francoHFW]

intelligence

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

For the past decade, social scientists and pollsters have given elaborate questionnaires to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe. Two of the largest studies that rank the happiness of countries around the world are the World Map of Happiness from the University of Leiscester and the World Database of Happiness from Ruut Veenhoven of Erasmus University Rotterdam. All the happiness surveys ask people basically the same question: How happy are you?

But if you mine all the databases of universities and research centers, you'll find that the happiest place on earth is Denmark.

Denmark: The Happiest Place on Earth - ABC News

So go move there and become a school teacher, Chris. It's right up your alley. A real man doesn't need the government to take care of him.

 

[1776]

If Denmark wasn't lilly white and was next to Mexico....they would be bankrupt and full of criminals.

Comparing "white" European countries that are barely the size of US states is ludicrous, especially when they don't have our minority classes that make up the majority of welfare crowd and criminals. If we shipped 10 million blacks or hispanics to Denmark...they would freak out.

 

[Flopper]

They don't however have the manufacturing base that Denmark has and the majority of their work is dedicated to the oil industry.....oh, hmmm, look at that will ya...oil. Yes natural resources are the saving grace for Norway as well as Denmark.

Norway's unemployment rate is what 3.6%? and Sweden's is 8.2?, the difference being oil.

Norway is nice, no doubt about it. But there are cracks starting to form in its social structure. It is nearly the same as Denmark though, the one difference is the size. It's the size that causes Norway's problems.

If they have cracks in their social structure, we have canyons running through ours. It all boils down to how a nation choose to use it's resources and economic output.

Yes, there is no doubt about that. So why then do the progressives interfere with our ability to exploit OUR natural resources at every turn?

If progresses felt that the exploitation of those resources would help those who really needed help then maybe they would be more supportive. I think they feel that such exploration provides the most benefits to those who need it the least while damaging the environment. In Norway, there is a special tax of 51% in addition to income tax on petroleum extraction. With taxes like that, it's would be pretty hard for progressives to fight it.

 

[1776]

I can go to "lilly white" towns in Kansas, Montana, the Dakotas, etc with low unemployment and crime rates.........hmmmmmmm.

Now compare those little "US towns" to LA, Chicago, Miami, NYC.....

 

[bripat9643]

What is this Danish School teacher's name? Obviously, she's just a made up person. They couldn't even find a real person to mouth the shit they wanted her to say, so they just made one up. Take a look at the houses the Danes live in and you won't be impressed:

Note: The average American new home is 47% bigger than the average new home in Denmark. Imagine your house, and then whack off 1/3 of the square footage. Would you be happy living in what's left?

 

[OKTexas]

Too bad we don't invest in our own people, our own country the way many others do.

Our politicians have too many ways to waste our resources, like owning a managing a full one third of the land in the continental US.

 

[Esmeralda]

What is this Danish School teacher's name? Obviously, she's just a made up person. They couldn't even find a real person to mouth the shit they wanted her to say, so they just made one up. Take a look at the houses the Danes live in and you won't be impressed:

Note: The average American new home is 47% bigger than the average new home in Denmark. Imagine your house, and then whack off 1/3 of the square footage. Would you be happy living in what's left?

Location, location, location.

It depends much more on where your home is than how large it is, to me anyway. I'd give up a larger home with a garden to live in a small apartment if the location was far more appealing.

 

[francoHFW]

I don't hear anyone wanting smaller homes here. EU homes and buildings seem to last longer than McMansions...lol.

THE POINT IS WE HAVE TO TAX OUR RICH THEIR FAIR SHARE AND INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE OR OUR COUNTRY WILL CONTINUE GOING TO HELL UNDER SHORTSIGHTED PUB POLICY...

 

[jasonnfree]

Nothing brings out the vile hatred republicans have in their heart like hearing that a country is doing well without following reaganomics and trickle down theory.