Why Norway is Becoming the World's Richest Country

[Gunnar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO8vWJfmY88
Check out this video! I hope you find it as fascinating as I found it, and not just because I was born there. Norway has long been one of the most prolific producers of hydroelectric power, producing 95% of all the electricity it needs. It also has a huge potential for wind generated power, which will enable it to export electricity to much of the rest of Europe. In addition to being one of the world's highest producers of renewable energy, it has become one of the world's largest producers of oil and natural gas due to the massive reserves of oil and gas discovered in the North Sea, which means that Norway can export nearly 100% of the oil and natural gas it produces. From those factors alone, Norway already has one of the world's highest GDPs per capita.

Not only that, unlike most other countries with huge fossil fuel reserves, Norway is not governed by despotic, oligarchs who hog all the profits with little or no concern for the people they rule. Norway has a democratic socialist government, which is rated as the most democratic, egalitarian country on earth, with among the freest and happiest people on earth, with universal healthcare, among the very best on earth, and one of the lowest crime rates and longest life expectancies, which belies the false claim that socialism is necessarily evil, despotic and oppressive. Free enterprise, capitalism and entrepreneurship also thrives and is encouraged in Norway, along with its progressive, socialistic policies.

As if that was not enough, it was recently discovered that Norway has the world's largest yet discovered phosphate rock deposits, that more than doubled the entire, known reserves on earth. In addition, Norway has been found to have huge reserves of rare earth minerals, germanium and gallium needed for electronic devices and magnetic motors for EVs, enough to break China's near monopoly of these resources.

All this, plus a few other factors, is positioning Norway to become the world's wealthiest per capita nation in the very near future. It makes me almost wish that my father never made the decision to emigrate to America!

[Dr Exiled]

Is it hard to immigrate there for Americans? Sounds like a great place to be. Or perhaps the "share the wealth" attitude should also be exported?

[Gunnar]

Is it hard to immigrate there for Americans? Sounds like a great place to be. Or perhaps the "share the wealth" attitude should also be exported?

I don't know how hard it is for Americans immigrate there, but I know that Americans have certainly done so. Since I was born there, I would be automatically accepted as a citizen, despite now being a naturalized American citizen.

I agree that the share the "wealth attitude" attitude should be exported from there to here.

[Dwight]

Norway is expensive, but beautiful. We did a road trip in the fall in 2012, Lillehammer, fjords, Trollstigen, Atlantic Highway, Trondheim, Mo i Rana, jaunt up to the arctic circle, then we came back into Sweden to see my wife's grandma and uncle before coming back home. Sweden doesn't really have mountains, but Norway does.

The story of Farouk Al-Kasim is a good read. I can't find the article I read long ago, but he was an Iraqi petroleum executive that moved to Norway for better access to healthcare for his youngest, his wife was Norwegian. He basically walked in to the ministry without much hope for a job right as they were on the cusp of really discovering the oil. The number one thing he brought was preparing Norway for the influx of money and having a plan for it.

[Vēritās]

You have to have had residency within Norway for 7 years in order to apply for citizenship, so it isn't an easy process.

[ajax18]

Is it hard to immigrate there for Americans? Sounds like a great place to be. Or perhaps the "share the wealth" attitude should also be exported?

I don't know how hard it is for Americans immigrate there, but I know that Americans have certainly done so. Since I was born there, I would be automatically accepted as a citizen, despite now being a naturalized American citizen.

I agree that the share the "wealth attitude" attitude should be exported from there to here.

Why not just go back to Norway and enjoy a democratic socialist paradise?

[Moksha]

Why not just go back to Norway and enjoy a democratic socialist paradise?

It does sound tempting knowing how awful things will become under the Trumpian Reich.

[Gunnar]

I don't know how hard it is for Americans immigrate there, but I know that Americans have certainly done so. Since I was born there, I would be automatically accepted as a citizen, despite now being a naturalized American citizen.

I agree that the share the "wealth attitude" attitude should be exported from there to here.

Why not just go back to Norway and enjoy a democratic socialist paradise?

Sometimes I wish I could afford to, but all my best friends and loved ones, including everyone in my immediate family, are here in America. I don't want to leave them. Plus, I want to be in a position to help vote out of office Trump and his horrible minions, once his duped supporters finally figure out just how corrupt and pathologically dishonest he is. Until now, America has, in general, been quite good to me, but I dread what it may become in the next 4 years.

America, despite its faults, has accomplished some great and admirable things, especially in science and governance. The ideals expressed in its declaration of independence and its constitution's bill of rights have inspired people all over the world, despite some deplorable lapses in fully living up to them. Without American help and generosity, Hitler would likely have turned all of Europe into intolerant Nazi states. No nation in history, as far as I can tell, has treated its defeated enemies with greater fairness and generosity. I think the U.S.A. despite its faults was once the greatest and freest democracy on earth (for most of its citizens), but some other nations have now surpassed us in those respects, while America has sadly retrogressed. Still, if and when we manage to shed the diseases of MAGA-ism and oligarchy, I think we still have the potential to become the greatest nation on earth.

[ajax18]

Still, if and when we manage to shed the diseases of MAGA-ism and oligarchy, I think we still have the potential to become the greatest nation on earth.

Why wait? You can go back to Norway right now and enjoy the benefits of the great society. Why not just take your family with you? And what are you waiting for? You're never going to be able to vote against Trump again? Do you realize that this is his last term of office?

[Markk]

Still, if and when we manage to shed the diseases of MAGA-ism and oligarchy, I think we still have the potential to become the greatest nation on earth.

Why wait? You can go back to Norway right now and enjoy the benefits of the great society. Why not just take your family with you? And what are you waiting for? You're never going to be able to vote against Trump again? Do you realize that this is his last term of office?

I suggest folks google something along the lines of "Problems in Norway" or "Racism in Norway," and spend some time reading.

But I am genuinely amazed at the new talking point by the left wing pundits of the new administration being an "oligarchy." Our government has been a form of oligarchy for as long as I can remember. Washington DC's concentration of extreme wealth of resident lobbyist's, while members of congress and senators being paid 175K a year, yet retiring with millions kind of says it all.

Entities like Pharma, the Unions, education, energy (electric and oil), etc... are and have been filling the pockets of these folks on both sides of the Isle. The base of these folks are still in Washington, they are just following the decision makers with their carpet bags full of money. But ironically more billionaires supported Biden, then Harris, than Trump. I think we are kidding ourselves if we believe Bidden was not ran out of the race by anyone other than the "oligarchs" on the left. Once they saw he had no chance, they pulled the plug, not the people.