[kathsua]

This says it all.

[wally_bert]

I liked Tromso and Bergen back in the early 90s when I got to visit there courtest of Uncle Sam’s Yacht Club.

[cripplecreek]

If they don’t want to see their fellow citizens escaping, they aren’t far from preventing it one way or another.

[Pinkbell]

Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands - all bastions of liberalism. One liberal I debated praised these countries for their liberalism and raved about how happy the people there are. The model in these countries is the lib goal for the U.S. No thanks.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Umm, I think there are lineups for visas at every US embassy and consulate in the world.

[onona]

And here I thought Norway wash awash in North Sea oil revenue....

[SkyDancer]

Isn’t IKEA Norwegian? I think they own the country.

[katana]

Supposedly, Norwegians are some of the happiest people on earth.

I've read in more than one place that Norwegians have the highest per capita suicide rate in the world. The lack of sun during the long and brutal winters may play a part in that, but if they're "happy" they have an unusual way of showing it.

[Lazlo in PA]

Norway can't be all bad. They make Jarlsberg cheese.

[Reagan69]

I’m married to one. Great people.

[3Fingas]

Norway is a beautiful country whose people like Americans very much. I did cold weather training there while I was in the military. It was one of nicest places I have ever visited.

The Norwegians have a very a high standard of living due to their North Sea Oil revenues, small and highly educated population, and a very homogenous and reasonably harmonious culture. There's certainly a lot more communalism and high taxation there. This is a part of their culture and would not work very well in the U.S. with our very different ethnic make-up and long-standing belief in individual liberties. So, in short Norwegians do Norway very well, but Americans would not do Norway well at all.

Oh, and their woman are gorgeous.

[riri]

A McDonald’s value meal is about $16 in Oslo. A pair of name brand jeans? About $150.

[LRoggy]

No it doesn't. I visited the country when I had a Norwegian girlfriend and there a few things that you didn't touch on.

Back then there were only 4 million people living in a pretty large area. You could drive for hours and not see anyone. It's not the type of country that will make a lot of manufactured goods. Electricity is incredibly cheap because it is almost entirely driven by hydro power. Her mother wondered why I would bother turning off the bathroom lights at night.

The country has some of the most breathtaking scenery on the entire planet. But I found most Norwegians didn't really appreciate it; maybe they just took it for granted.

Just like any country, some of the people were outgoing and friendly to foreigners and some where reactionary in-breds that looked at you like you were a Martian.

Food was expensive except for the shellfish and fresh fish. Very little of the country was farm-able so most food was imported. Red meat was outrageously expensive. Shrimp was as cheap as the electricity. The diet was pretty high calorie and the people were pretty big. I'm 5’ 10” and when we went into a disco in Oslo half the women were as tall as me.

The oil revenue was so large that the country built a huge reserve that is still growing. The tax system was probably similar to what we had in the 70’s. The people are used to a nanny state compared to what we know and have, but it isn't the same as the way you put it. When you only have 4,000,000 people and you have that much wealth you are not going to develop your youth to be hungry entrepreneurs.

Sweden, Denmark and Finland are very different from Norway. Don't paint them with the same brush.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"The objectionable "appearance" was their fellow Norwegians, day after day, lining up out the door, down the street and around the corner, applying for visas to leave Norway and come to the United States."

No problemo. Buy some quick tan, and learn Spanglish.

[Erasmus]

Grampa & Gramma got out (separately) ca. 1910.

[WKUHilltopper]

They spend nothing on defense—and who do you guess they come running to?