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Norway: the best country in the world to live in

BillieTheBotBillieTheBot Posts: 8,721 Bot
in Politics & Debate
Norway has come first in this 177-nation survey for the past five years, since it ousted Canada from top spot in 2001. More importantly, it reflects Norway's enviable ability to sustain the elusive combination of economic prosperity (3.75% growth expected this year) with a strong welfare state and a clean environment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,1569253,00.html


So there you have it, ladies and gents: the best place in the world to live is in Europe, and the best, most prosperous and advanced system for all concerned is a high-tax, environmentally friendly progressive welfare state.

Just what I've been telling several people all along. :razz:
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, personally I'm planning to move there, or canada.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote:
    Well, personally I'm planning to move there, or canada.
    What language do they speak?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Canada? English, or french
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Norwegian which is probably difficult as hell, but I suspect just about everyone speaks perfect English, as it's often the case with those parts.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    -[MoonRat]- wrote:
    What language do they speak?

    Norwegian I take it.

    I'm planning to live in New Zealand when I'm older, it looks like a nice wee place
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Beer is really expensive though - £6-7 a pint a few years ago.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Notice that Norway isnt in the EU, however...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Matadore wrote:
    Notice that Norway isnt in the EU, however...

    And whats that got to do with the price of cabbages in Taiwan?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    :rolleyes: nor is russia.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Its quite obvious that Norway benefits from not being in the clutches of the economic straight jacket of the Euro and its associated treaties. They are free to trade with the EU but on their terms with trade deals negociated to suit them. Its also worth remembering that Norway has lots of oil and timber and a very small population.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Matadore wrote:
    They are free to trade with the EU but on their terms with trade deals negociated to suit them.

    That might be alright for them but if the UK and other countries pulled out then "deals" would be much harder to come by.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Matadore wrote:
    Its quite obvious that Norway benefits from not being in the clutches of the economic straight jacket of the Euro and its associated treaties. They are free to trade with the EU but on their terms with trade deals negociated to suit them. Its also worth remembering that Norway has lots of oil and timber and a very small population.
    That might be true, but it is also part of Continental Europe, that big ugly monster of decaying morals and rampant fascism. And moreover, rather than embracing free market capitalism and low tax it's a shining example of why high-tax, welfare state social democracies are the best system in the world. ;)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You don't want to be a whale in Norway .... :no:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    than embracing free market capitalism and low tax it's a shining example of why high-tax, welfare state social democracies are the best system in the world.

    Its an example of a very small and rich country with very few social problems and immigration. If Norway was the size of the UK population wise it would collapse in a month.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It'd very much remain to be seen. Most nothern europeaan countries regardless of size have a high-tax welfare state system and by happy coincidence they have better standards of living for all and healthier economies than most if not all other countries on earth.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Norway has vast natural resources and natural wealth shared amongst a population smaller than that of Birmingham. As well as the fact that it has been ruled by COnservative governments for the past 20 years.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The norwegian labour party is conservatve?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Matadore wrote:
    Norway has vast natural resources and natural wealth shared amongst a population smaller than that of Birmingham. As well as the fact that it has been ruled by COnservative governments for the past 20 years.

    So Birmingham has a population of over 4,500 000, news to me..where do you get your figures from mat

    http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/no.html
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Interesting to note with regards to EU membership that 12 of the top 20 countries ARE in the EU............ :chin:

    I suspect in fact that EU membership doesn't really have anything to do with it..........
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    The Matadore wrote:
    Notice that Norway isnt in the EU, however...

    But they need too join! Look at that big wilyl shape on the Euro coins!
    1euro_obv.gif
    See it?

    Yeah, so this proves that tax and spend works I guess.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teh_Gerbil wrote:
    But they need too join! Look at that big wilyl shape on the Euro coins!
    1euro_obv.gif
    See it?

    Yeah, so this proves that tax and spend works I guess.

    I think teh euro is so sexy :D

    I love Europe and can't wait to travel a bit more! Going Brussels soon and love it, everyone is so polite and all speak good english make you feel very welcome. Shame this country wasn't so welcoming to people, I would love to learn some foreign languages, feel a little guilty expecting others to communicate with me, seems a little wrong!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They also work the shortest hours per week of any country in Europe but produce more each week than us, who work the longest hours.

    They have a well trained and well educated population, which always helps.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Norway's prosperity is very much due to wealth from resources, namely oil in the North Sea. Interestingly Scotland has more oil than Norway, but it cannot exploit it's potential due to the greed of England, Scotland being non-independent and all.

    Potentially Scotland could be one of the best countries to live in Europe if it was independent, which is ironic, because the English often taunt the Scottish nationalists saying 'You'd be nothing without us, let's see how you'd cope on your own'. Theoretically Scotland would cope quite admirably on their own and would probably have enough money left over to help deprived areas of their poor English neighbours. Afterall it would make sense for Scotland to have a strong and prosperous neighbour with whom they conduct most of their trade.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    addicted7 wrote:
    Norway's prosperity is very much due to wealth from resources, namely oil in the North Sea. Interestingly Scotland has more oil than Norway, but it cannot exploit it's potential due to the greed of England, Scotland being non-independent and all.

    Potentially Scotland could be one of the best countries to live in Europe if it was independent, which is ironic, because the English often taunt the Scottish nationalists saying 'You'd be nothing without us, let's see how you'd cope on your own'. Theoretically Scotland would cope quite admirably on their own and would probably have enough money left over to help deprived areas of their poor English neighbours. Afterall it would make sense for Scotland to have a strong and prosperous neighbour with whom they conduct most of their trade.


    about 60% of the scottish economy is already subsidised its just governments and business alike in this country have no sense of social responsibility and logic in doing things

    tower hamlets council recently repainted my mums friend's flat carpark, and now theyre gonna resurface it and have to paint it again.....

    idiocy and the lack of integration between public services is the problem

    we tinker too much and never rebuild to have an efficient infrastructure - the channel tunnel rail link is only new bit of railway in 90 odd years, frances is about 40 years at most, as they rebuilt to have a safe nuclear material transport
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    That might be alright for them but if the UK and other countries pulled out then "deals" would be much harder to come by.

    Not really. It’s well known that Britain purchases more off EU states than it sells to EU states. So as Britain buys more from other EU members than it sells to them it would be in the EU’s interest to have a free trade agreement with Britain if we were to ever leave the EU.

    Switzerland and Israel like Norway have special trade agreements with the EU, don’t see how Britain would be any different if we were not members. Although the Swiss I believe often debate about whether to join the EU as a full member but I think most of them oppose it at the moment. Norway’s talked about joining before and I think even Ariel Sharon’s government talked about Israel trying to join. Personally I think Britain would be better off out with a simple free trade agreement with the EU.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Norway is crap. Most boring country on earth!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dear Wendy wrote:
    Norway is crap. Most boring country on earth!
    The story about the release of 'Life of Brian' comes to mind.

    Norway tried to have it banned on the basis that it offended Christians or some other bullshit like that.

    The Swedes then promoted the film thus: "Life of Brian- a film so funny that the Norwegians tried to ban it". :D
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Norweigan ladies are beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful!!!!!!!!!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    An example

    http://scandinaviasingles.com/Members/Browse.asp?Handle=Missnorway
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Wouldn't mind living there. They have an amazing Black Metal scene too :D
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