Ping to the Swedish Ping List.
Posted on 02/04/2013 12:44:50 PM PST by WesternCulture
Neighboring Norway indeed has oil, but this is by no means the only source to Norwegian prosperity.
Today, the Nordic countries are unique among Western countries in the sense that they for decades have displayed solid economic growth, have no problems with national debt (Iceland is an exception but is, without doubt, on the right track - is Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the UK, France and the US?) and have managed to avoid strikes and unstable governments for a long stretch of years.
But what is the real secret behind this Nordic success? What could other governments learn from that of a country like Sweden?
Perhaps it's as simple as this:
- Avoid any measure that will increase national debt - Do whatever you can to downsize government influence over the economy - Stimulate education, research and entrepreneurship without employing hordes of bureaucrats (contrary to what most European nations have been doing for decades) - Let the organizations of employers and the worker unions settle their own disagreements without government intervention (this is not the case in America; Sweden has no government regulated minimum wages, America does)
The intelligence and character of a country’s people is also a major factor, which seems to be ignored in this otherwise interesting article. Exporting this model to a low average IQ country would be predictably unworkable.
Sure you would. You’d be born into a land that has the second highest reported rape rate in the world, after South Africa. It’s not Vikings that are doing the raping.
You’d be born into a land where 16% of the babies are born to “non-Western” parents.
You’d be born into a land so flourishing that there’s a welcome mat out for immigrants who have over 50% unemployment and welfare dependency.
You’d be born into a land where there are no-go areas for blue-eyed people like you, unless perhaps you really were a-Viking, sword and battle-ax in hand.
As has been pointed out by others, Swedes in America are pretty darn prosperous. I would not be surprised if they are on average better off than those who stayed in the Old Country.
- Guess you're right.
However, the average level of intelligence concerning China, Gabon and India is comparatively low, yet these nations sure enjoy high GDP growth rates.
But what about character?
Maybe economic growth, on a wider scale like that of a whole nation, has more to do with certain traits involving economic sense and the “room” provided for individuality in that very society?
Take Ingvar Kamprad, founder and sole owner of IKEA. Early in his life, he got rather convinced that an academic career was out of the question in his case. Later on, in an interview, he claimed he probably would fail to impress if performing an IQ-test.
To me, this tells the story of a very original person, a gifted businessman who doesn't mind cutting his losses, is stubborn enough to follow his own mind and wholeheartedly devotes himself to one mission in life; doing what he is good at.
Still, entrepreneurs like Ingvar Kamprad, Bill Gates, Lars Magnus Ericsson (founder of Swedish telecom giant Ericsson) and Henry Ford are in need of a surrounding environment that welcomes business initiatives in order to launch fruitful business initiatives.
In this area most national governments have a lot to learn.
My Grandma always said I was so dark because I was “a black Norwegian”. She claimed that the Vikings captured many dark, gypsy Princesses on their raids and brought them home to Norway for wives. My Dad said he thought that maybe those Vikings had captured some African Princesses. That would explain my coloring and my desire to hunt lions.
- Neither would I. Swedes and Scandinavians in general are, evidently, good at doing business.
Especially during the early phase of mass-emmigration from Sweden around the mid 19th century, there was little opportunity for gifted businessmen back in the old country. Sweden's economy might have exploded with growth from around 1870, but since America remained a far richer country at least until the outbreak of WWII, people continued to emigrate to USA from Sweden.
Ping to the Swedish Ping List.
“She claimed that the Vikings captured many dark, gypsy Princesses on their raids and brought them home to Norway for wives.”
- An amusing story, but I really wonder if it has much to do with actual history.
My impression is that black hair is more common among Norwegians than among Swedes, Finns and Danes. But why?
Swedish Vikings did a lot of journeys eastwards and southwards (mainly to countries today known as Russia, the Ukraine and Turkey), in other words to places were we find a lot of people with black hair. The Norwegian Vikings mostly went westwards.
Yes, the Norwegians went West. My great, great, great Grandfather roamed the prairies of New York with two, forty five caliber Herring strapped to his sides. He was known as THE LONE LUTEFISKER.
“HI HO HERRING AWAY!”
These days, there are a lot of dark-haired Norwegians, Swedes and Danes with names like Muhammad and Ahmad.
“My great, great, great Grandfather roamed the prairies of New York with two, forty five caliber Herring strapped to his sides”
- No offence, but was he, by any chance, the inventor of LSD?
Oh, you’ve heard of him.
Lutefisk......Now, there is a traditional dish that I do not understand. Having been in its presence, just once, my nostrils still burn and a gag reflex is induced by the mere recollection. I guess you acquire the taste during childhood......
Lutefisk......Now, there is a traditional dish that I do not understand. Having been in its presence, just once, my nostrils still burn and a gag reflex is induced by the mere recollection. I guess you acquire the taste during childhood......
Skin and hair color isn’t important from an intellectual standpoint. But it still plays a role in politics, although in a negative manner, namely in the way that people belonging to the Caucasian race - the whites - today are encouraged to express their apologies for having discovered and developed the World.
What’s the problem with people who can’t deal with sill, lutefisk, sushi, sashimi, gravlax etc?
Visit some other corner of the World besides your local KFC once in your lifetime.
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