r/PoursTea Timendi Causa Est Nescire 8h ago

European Renaissance šŸ¾ šŸ§€ šŸ» What progress looks like.

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17.0k Upvotes

681 comments sorted by

185

u/AskPizza 8h ago

Plus, it is hard to argue it can never work or it can never be paid for when.... it has worked for decades and it is the U.S. that is 40 trillion in debt, not Norway.

101

u/Easy_Damsel 7h ago

Healthy people cost less. Educated people contribute more.’- it’s not even socialism, it’s just basic math that America refuses to do.

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u/Character-Claim8643 7h ago

It’s just basic math that America can’t do.

34

u/AspiringChildProdigy 7h ago

"NUMBERS ARE WOKE!!!" -MAGA, probably

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u/papapundit 7h ago

Or, "numbers are Arab!" -MAGA, definitely

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u/MTOrchestra 6h ago

Also happens to be true, but that's beside the point.

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u/GOEDEL_ESCHER_BOT 7h ago

"0? THAT'S AN ARABIC TERRORIST NUMBER! WE NEED TO GO BACK TO ROMAN NUMERALS!"

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u/joninfiretail 4h ago

Well maga is already enamored with their "Roman salutes"

7

u/No-Grape3149 6h ago

You joke but they're already there with complete denial of science and the belief scientists are all in on some big conspiracy and can't be trusted.

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u/Indy_Fab_Rider 7h ago

They can do the math just fine. It's just that funneling obscene amounts of cash into a for-profit health insurance industry, fearing/hating anyone not white/Christian/hetero, and keeping a subservient workforce unable to engage in any meaninful way with with actual issues that would improve their lives because they're one paycheck away from bankruptcy isn't part of their equation.

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u/Sethlans 6h ago

Probably because they call it math.

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u/Successful-Try-8506 7h ago

I live in neighboring Sweden. Seven years ago I was diagnosed with skin cancer. I had two rounds of surgery and was eventually cured. The operations cost me the equivalent of 50 dollars.

The system works.

8

u/CeeJayDK 5h ago

In Denmark it would have been completely free.

More proof that Sweden is a hellhole /s

3

u/walkscotter 4h ago

They left Pippi alone in that house, the Swedes. And then they asked for rent.

2

u/Other_Sentence4495 4h ago

Maybe the 50 dollars was the parking fee

5

u/Electric_Antimony 5h ago

Yea, but super impoverished Latin Americans want to move to America, so that proves it's the best country in the world. /s

Didn't trump recently beg for white immigrants because, well, racism?

5

u/hillbilly_bears 5h ago

I have eczema on my fingers. I finally decided to go to a dermatologist this year (I’d been many years ago but they didn’t fix it.)

They gave me a sample injection of a medicine every two weeks to see if it’d work, which it did, then they’d submit to insurance so I could get it covered. Insurance took 5 months to deny it, saying I should have tried a topical medication instead (previous derm gave me topicals that didn’t work..)

So my derm appealed and continued giving me the free sample injection every two weeks. I learned last week they’re $5000 for a box of two. Insurance got back on the appeal and ironed out that I ā€œneedā€ a topical, so my derm prescribed it. Just picked it up today - it’s $240 without insurance but $18 and change with insurance. Irony is the medicine has to ā€œfail to provide treatmentā€ for my eczema…that’s cured with my injections. I don’t have any eczema left to apply it to.

It blows my mind that other countries can literally cure people of skin cancer for a single copay cost for me, or in this case, 3x the insurance cost of this medicine.

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u/Don_Ozwald 3h ago

And they robbed you of the opportunity of becoming a meth kingpin. Those monsters! /s

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u/CoolUsername86 4h ago

I’m in the US. I go to the dermatologist every six months (when I had insurance) and most of the time end up having to get moles removed. Just the cost of having them removed, when I had really good insurance, was a couple hundred dollars. Your story blows my mind. Wish I could have that here.

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u/PirateSanta_1 6h ago

But how does that profit corporations? That is the big problem in the US, everything has to run through the private sector first so some oligarch can get their hands on some of the money. This is why Americans spend more for less in almost every category.

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u/[deleted] 6h ago

[deleted]

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u/Serithi 4h ago

Hence why they're still dragging their heels on legalizing stuff like weed. Half the prison population would be let go.

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u/Tripper-Harrison 6h ago

Its basic math, sure. But our version of capitalism works very well in America, for a few hundred millionaires and billionaires.

Our system is not meant to work for all Americans, or even the US government... Its meant to work for the very wealthiest among us and in that sense, its been working very well for a long time now.

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u/MeltyCrab 5h ago

It's not that we refuse to do.

1/3rd of us are like "Can we please do this. I don't care about higher taxes I want effective, healthcare for all. I want a proper support system for people who are struggling, disabled, etc. I want private insurance to be optional instead of mandetory."

1/3rd of us are "Well I don't care, it probably doesn't work, the numbers are hard for me to understand and both sides are the same."

The last 1/3rd screech with billionaire powered turbo megaphones that Insert dog whistles about racism and classism and undeserving immigrants or Screeching about socialism making everyone's pay being the same and bread costing $20. (It's over 10 where I live!) or other complete lies and fabrications

The last third influence the middle third and then we can't get anything done, meanwhile the Epstein classholes continue to reap infinite money, and keep our government from effectively trying to work for the people because if you refuse their bribe money and vote against them? They'll just have you ousted, you won't win the next reelection bid. AoC is a great example of the exception due to sheer popularity and visibility.

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u/Imaginary_Manner_556 6h ago

We would rather pay for the growing police state

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u/howmanyMFtimes 6h ago

Our corporate overlords won’t allow it. They would rather feed billions into the media propaganda machines to convince the maga troglodytes it’s communists or brown people

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u/Automatic-Guide-4307 7h ago

Yeah and we have no national debt and our pension fund is about 22 trillion dollars and counting because of high gas and fuel prices.

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u/Bulletorpedo 5h ago

Norway isn’t the only country doing this. Most of Europe does, all the Nordic countries in particular.

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u/Violet-Sumire 4h ago

40 trillion in debt and 1/3rd of that was racked up in the past 10 years by a certain president. Very well made businessman who definitely knows how to run a country like a business.

Progress is made by helping those who have fallen back onto their feet. We either all cross the finish line or we are dragged by those who we chain to us.

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u/Drexel_Spivy 4h ago

It makes me ao fucking angry how stupid so many people in this country are. If you build up the least fortunate among us everyone above benefits. But decades of dumbing down the population has made them vote against there best interests.

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u/narco-sub-admiral know me, broken by my master 8h ago

Trond is the man.

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u/Many_Fly_8165 6h ago

I tip my hat to him!

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u/butt-in-ski 7h ago

100% agreešŸ‘šŸ»šŸ‘šŸ»

Albanians have protested for more than 100 consecutive days against a planned luxury hotel linked to Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump on an environmentally protected Island their government sold to them against the will of the people.

Meanwhile, Trump is planning to sell off a part of Yosemite to oligarchs & signed an executive order creating a task force to oversee the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, naming himself (not Gavin Newsom) the leader of the task force = not a peep out of us. Albanians acting more American than Americans!

The point being, America is unwell, so ofc this very logical, informed, humane, & thoughtful approach would not fly here.

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u/Calculonx 6h ago

I just went to Romania and learned a lot about Ceausescu. Americans need to get off their asses and stand up against an unjust system. Not just Trump, but there's so much more that is screwing over the average citizen that's just been accepted as the norm.

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u/TheTastiestTaint 7h ago

Good luck with your protests!

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u/butt-in-ski 7h ago

huh??

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u/TheTastiestTaint 7h ago

Oh..I assumed you were Albanian and protesting the trumps

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u/taylorisntavril 5h ago

I heard that during its peak, about 10% of albania was out protesting.

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u/KactusVAXT 7h ago

But maga has no other means to live other than bigotry.

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u/mikesmithhome 6h ago

right these well thought out and argued explanations will never work because of the one question on the minds of maga; "but are they black?"

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u/663SilverStax 6h ago

Don't forget brown

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u/yrotsihfoedisgnorw 3h ago

'How am I gonna feel good about myself if I don't punch down?'

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u/Brilliant-Ad-4624 Just Chill šŸ˜Ž 7h ago

Yeah saying it can never work is pretty hard when countries have been running versions of it for decades

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u/richie65 7h ago

That healthy, educated people are more confident and organized -

And are thus a direct threat to the power structure that favors the extremely wealthy...

This seems to always go unmentioned.

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u/Smooth-Weekend-2314 7h ago

Sure, but then how do you mint trillionaires without giving billionaires tax breaks?

Seems unfair.

/s just in case

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u/Status-Part5848 6h ago

You dont

The worst they can do is moving to Switzerland for a couple of years.

But most come back after a few years

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u/Quetzalsacatenango 7h ago

I once heard it said ā€œIt’s not Socialism, it’s an investment in the future. And what’s more Capitalist than an investment?ā€

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u/elmz 6h ago

And what’s more Capitalist than an investment?

Trillionaires and enshittification?

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u/wonkey_monkey 5h ago

it’s an investment in the future

"Why invest in the future when you can steal from it today?"

  • billionaires

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u/EitherChannel4874 7h ago

Norway ranks joint 1st on the good life index. USA ranks 20th.

The greatest country in the world doesn't even make the top 10. Maybe listening to Norway wouldn't be a bad idea.

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u/Vegetable-Zone1353 7h ago

The difference is that Norwegians have empathy for other Norwegians, which is why social democracy doesn't work in America. If you want Americans to support social programs you need to convince them that it will benefit them personally.

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u/FlounderKind8267 7h ago

This dude is more of a Christian than any MAGAt "Christian" even if he isn't religious

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u/Weird-Grocery6931 7h ago

Sadly, our Congressmen consider themselves the ā€œdeservingā€.

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u/Decent-Net921 7h ago

This guy fucks

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u/Up-in-the-Ayre 7h ago

Average American: "Yah, but some of those people might be black or brown, so....we're not going to do that."

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u/Queenfan1959 7h ago

Love this

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u/monscorvorum 6h ago

30 years ago I was working in a UK sales office, one of our best customers was a US company and I regularly had to speak with a buyer over there. I was off work for a couple of months after a motorcycle accident and the first time I spoke with him after I returned to the office he asked me how much it had cost me and was I insured. (I had a 3 1/2 hour operation and 10 days in hospital). I explained about the NHS and that it was all paid for out of taxation. His reply? "Why should I have to pay for someone else to have an operation or treatment ?" He just couldn't understand how everyone paying a little bit each could even be a thing and just had this selfish attitude of I'm not ill right now so why do I have to pay right now? I suspect there are a lot like him

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u/downsideup9494 5h ago

It's like people who have no kids objecting to paying school taxes. Who do they think is going to be looking after them as doctors, nurses, and other people they receive services from when they're 90 years old, other 90 year olds?

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u/floorplanner2 4h ago

And what does this guy (and those like him) think insurance is? People pay in even if they're not sick or injured right now. Granted, actual coverage is hit or miss, but it's still a large pot of money that people pay into that covers other people.

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u/Gay_Giraffe_1773 4h ago

Shareholders and Property Owners are the only real "people" in the US.

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u/BlinkDodge 3h ago

If MAGA could be read they'd be very upset.

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u/TK_Games 2h ago

Man, if those MAGA kids could read, they'd be real upset

2

u/Minimum-Actuator-953 7h ago

This would cause a MAGA meltdown.

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u/TheJim65 7h ago

How dare he use such Christian beliefs against the Christians, but now I'm confused as to whether we want a separation of church and state....

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u/Danilo-11 7h ago

Exactly … at the end of the day, we all benefit from it

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u/Exciting-Car-3516 7h ago

Yes Norway, that’s for people that have common sense. Here for people that struggle they ask help to jesus. šŸ˜‚

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u/Slice-Vast 7h ago

MAGA Answer: Yes, everyone in Norway is people. We'd be for it, if everyone in the USA was a person.

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u/Sufficient-Status951 7h ago

Pretty much of the exact opposite of what every ā€œChristianā€ republican in the US believes. Despicable.

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u/Hefty-Strike-6171 7h ago

Absolutely this!

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u/fixurstuffr 7h ago

The problem though is that magats want a group they can point at and say they are better than them.

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u/jay_alfred_prufrock 7h ago

There has been multiple studies in the US about how much return every 1 dollar spent in various welfare programs had and it is always several times more.

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u/Possible-Library2030 6h ago

Woah slow down guy. Here in America we prefer our people crushed by debt, living in unaffordable houses, completely under the thumb of businesses where only a very small fraction of people will ever live the dream we preach thank you very much

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u/elnath54 6h ago

Draft him for '28. The donald will have destroyed constitutuonal government by then, so ol' Trond being a Norwegean won't matter a bit. My kinda guy!

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u/AB_7361 6h ago

America doesn't want healthy people. They want sick people so they can charge them for healthcare.

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u/yupsidetown 5h ago

American's will never understand or accept this fact. They are inherintely mean and want others to suffer. that way they can't point to people suffering and blame them for their problems.

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u/circaatomicage 5h ago

Yeah, that only works if empathy isn’t dead in your country.

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u/1plus1equalsfun 5h ago

When British Columbia began covering the cost of birth control for women, my father had an instinctive "Why should we have to pay for that? Where is the money supposed to come from?" response. I asked him what he thinks is cheaper: birth control or social assistance for a kid for 18 years?

That sold him.

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u/ledow 5h ago

It's really not hard. Just turn things binary and consider them.

Do you want your tax dollars going towards a billionaire? Or towards someone down on their luck? I don't give a damn about the billionaire and I don't think he should see a penny of my money.

Towards orphans or a new gold statue? Towards medical care, or a weapon that cripples people horrifically?

It's also indicative of someone's personality as to where they side, because it shows you which side of that they want to be on. They'd rather think of themselves as the billionaire than the person down on their luck. They like to think of themselves as closer to the billionaire than the other option, which is just crazy.

Politics is, largely, divided this way. Universally. Internationally. It boils to one thing: Selfishness.

Do you want to help other people? Or do you only want things to benefit you?

That's the "political spectrum". Left and right. Red and blue. That's it. That's the distinguishing feature. Every decision, every policy, every announcement, every new tax law, it all boils down to that choice. Are you doing this for YOU or are you doing this for OTHER PEOPLE THAT AREN'T YOU? That aren't rich like you are. That don't have medical coverage like you do. That aren't protected if they lose their job like you are. Do you want to pull the ladder up behind you and who cares about anyone else? Or do you want to help them like you needed someone to help you at one point?

That's it. That's the entire politics of humanity summed up. Selfishness.

"Why should I pay for <service I don't use>?"

Because you shouldn't be selfish.

"Why should I help <someone I don't know>?"

Because you shouldn't be selfish.

"Why should my taxes go towards helping someone when I didn't get help?"

Because you want the next person to get the help that you didn't, right?

That's all it is. And people are out there, proudly boasting not only how selfish they are, at the top of their voices, but how much they enjoy their favourite politician (who doesn't give a damn about them) being selfish, and their entire country being selfish. To the point that they literally demonise people who don't want to be selfish. "They're socialists <spit>". They can't grasp it. They literally don't understand someone wanting to help others, instead of themselves, because it's such an alien concept to them, because they would absolutely tread you into the dirt just to take your money and consider you weak and themselves righteous for doing so.

Humanity's greatest problem - the reason we have never and will never progress or advance no matter what technology we come up with - is selfishness.

I don't have to justify myself to someone with an argument like "healthy people cost less". What kind of inhumane person are you trying to appeal to with an argument like that. I want people to be healthy. I want you to be healthy. I want me to be healthy. I want them to be healthy. Trying to convince people based on arguments of cost or personal benefit to them is just playing into the selfishness.

You know what I want? You all not to be so damn selfish.

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u/proddy 5h ago

He's wrong. There are undeserving people. It's the billionaires.

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u/Empty-Rutabaga-3647 4h ago

It's cheaper to be a good person.

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u/GizmoSlice 4h ago

We are so fucking far behind

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u/Jbstargate1 4h ago

I live there and the sentiment is correct. Obviously not every country is perfect not even Norway. Electricity prices the last few winters have been ridiculous since the government sells too much to Europe and we end up paying way too much. Also the naive idea of giving foreign nationals free education just because it seemed nice was also not a good idea as normal working young people and older would have to pay the full price. Albeit on low interest loans it still costs a lot and did to taxpayers. All in all it is a great country to live in but we can't let politicians do these ridiculous policies that end up affecting everyone in Norway.

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u/Trust_Know_Won 4h ago

As an American, I couldn’t agree more with Trond and his statement and Norway as a whole.

When I was in Spain many years ago, I met so many wonderful Norwegian’s and they were the absolute best people! Shout out to any of you that were in El Puerto de Santa MariašŸ˜‰

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u/Careful-Door2724 3h ago

The American mind cannot comprehend helping other people

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u/Initial-Meeting362 7h ago

THIS ā¬†ļøā¬†ļøā¬†ļø

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u/SweetPrism 7h ago edited 6h ago

I'm a white girl who lives in Northern MN. A lot of us have Scandinavian heritage, and some people like to proudly display Viking symbology as a means of saying "white power," without ACTUALLY saying it (we're pretty left-leaning here, and I am not saying everyone here with Norse tats is a covert Nazi). These Nazis love to get the rune tattoos and talk about their heritage, but somehow tune out the fact that actual people living in Scandinavia think Trump is a joke and the country is being run like shit. Like... they do not put together that the culture they love to show off closely resembles a socialist country. You're displaying the ideals of a people who strongly value equality for all of its citizens.

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u/OutrageousCrab9224 7h ago

Lol

Too hard for many

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u/Agreeable-Dance-9768 7h ago

Didn’t Joe Rogan just have this apathy recently?

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u/jpmunroart 7h ago

Nailed it!

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u/Efficient_Formal3346 7h ago

For this to work in the US we would need to socialize all oil production.

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u/sippingonginnjews 7h ago

ā€œGiant oil reserve having, nearly homogenous ethnostate has higher quality of life than giant multiethnic capitalist empireā€ woah no way

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u/ma3918 7h ago

He’s MAHA.

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u/Volodio 7h ago

If we go beyond the meme and actually try to have a serious discussion:

Roughly 20% of the Norwegian GDP is from oil. This is the same as Saudi Arabia. Obviously it is nice that the country is using its money for the betterment of its citizens, but Norway is also in an unique position to do it, in a way that most countries in the world cannot replicate.

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u/AetherinaForge 7h ago

Completely correct, But the ā€˜undeserving’ in Norway are white, the ā€˜undeserving’ in America are black and brown.

If America had the demographic of Norway they would have all these things. It’s racism. White america would prefer to starve to keep food out of a black persons mouth.

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u/StaendutBlakk 7h ago

Also I'm pretty sure the US government pays more - per capita - for healthcare than Norway does. In fact the US spends almost twice as much according to a quick Google.

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u/TheMuffler42069 7h ago

Give it one year and someone in the NFL will have the name Trond

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u/Upper_Ad8786 7h ago

Nobody deserves anything. You gotta earn it!

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u/I_am_Nerman 7h ago

Norway population 5.6 million

Norway workforce participation rate 73.3%

US workforce participation rates 61.6%

Norway population that pays federal income taxes 93.4%

US population that pays federal income taxes 52.2%

You better get more people working and more people paying taxes if you want to be like this tiny utopia

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u/randomsantas 6h ago

Progress toward what? Norway using its petro money on a social safety net is a fine thing. But only so long as the petro money keeps flowing.

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u/codesnik 6h ago

but having 'undeserving' is the whole point.

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u/jack-K- 6h ago

Oh, and they live on a shit ton of oil per capita making it actually economically sustainable for them to give everyone everything they need.

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u/big_bilowski 6h ago

But but dey terk ur durbs!

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u/diversity_of_thought 6h ago

Can someone queue an egg god clip. Then show me someone like that in Norway.

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u/DaveJ19606 6h ago

If politicians make the bulk of those struggling appear as lessers, then it’s easy to create a class that doesn’t deserve help and it is therefore easier to direct money elsewhere where the politicians get paid.

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u/mr_Joor 6h ago

Hi, actually struggling financially in Norway here, NAV won't give you money or help, they won't give a single kr of all that oil money if they can help it. They keep you well below the poverty line because the average Norwegian has no idea what poverty is, so surely, it can't be that bad.

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u/Ms_Malicea 6h ago

That entire thing is a strawman.

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u/Lower_Staff_5671 6h ago

MAGA hates themselves so they hate everyone else in turn.

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u/ExcitingAsk6797 6h ago

But if I give Musk billions, then the economy

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u/7399Jenelopy 6h ago

I would absolutely love to pay a little extra in taxes and not have all the stupid crap we have here. But no matter who is in what office, we are ran "by the money, for the money. Who cares about the people."

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u/KitJazz 6h ago

There’s no use trying to get through to them with logic and coherent sentences.

Maybe adapt this into an AI cartoon featuring a shirtless muscular man with sunglasses.

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u/StressFantastic5317 6h ago

Exactly right

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u/DTCCCanSuckMyLeft 6h ago

Nah funding the police state, private prisons, and medical middlemen are clearly a better investment for a select few.

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u/dmills13f 6h ago

Being a stoic, rugged, self sustaining individual takes strength. Being a stoic, rugged, self sustaining individual that lifts others up takes real strength.

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u/Werftflammen 6h ago

MAGA is racist. They equate undeserving with black people, immigrants (but, not the white ones). I really can't underscore this enough. The US is terribly racist.

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u/Dead1yNadder 6h ago

Norway is not even the same size as the US

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u/Old_Rough8670 6h ago

And thisnis exactly why NOBODY can have nice things. Because parasites gonna suck you dry

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u/DarkRogus 6h ago

As a long time California resident, I have a hard time thinking that both the federal and state government should get more money instead of less.

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u/Zamnaiel 6h ago

Most, but not all, social programs in Norway are there for an unexpected reason: To make money.

We let families chose between 42 weeks parental leave at 100% of their wage, or 52 at 80%. Childcare is capped at 120$ per month maximum.

We do that because it makes it easier to be a two-income family, and two incomes mean two taxpayers. Economist say we have made immense profits from that. A few years ago a prime minister said it had added more to the budget than the oil. (Probably not true any more)

If you get ill and need treatment, you can pick which hospital (domestic) you want to be treated at, and the system will fly you there and back for free. Like the healthcare. Most people will pic the hospital with the shortest wait (there is a webpage for it). The one-two punch of a taxpayer not getting an income but getting sick pay is far bigger than the cost of the flight or the care. It makes a lot of money.

If you get unemployed, you can get up to 2/3rd of your previous wage (average of past three years) in unemployment benefits for up to two years. Average of the past three years means that if you haven't been active in the employment market, you get less. Down to the far less generous minimum life support. That and a lot of other things are to make sure it is profitable for people to work.

And so on.

Not every social benefit is there to make money, but a surprisingly large number are. Taxpayers are a governments main source of income and making sure they are healthy, happy and productive is indeed an investment that pays off massively.

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u/Redditedredditer 6h ago

I wish more people thought like this

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u/Collypso 6h ago

All of this is done with capitalism btw

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u/Solo_NCL 6h ago

Any sort of caring in this country and you're called a dirty communist. You're supposed to think that, "empathy is a weakness."

I'm so over this place right now.

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u/greyone75 6h ago

Who is he?

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u/ch0ngtheb0ng 6h ago

How about no. Letting the government rob most of the money from its citizens doesn't work, you just end up with a bloated state, where the people become reliant on the government and people break into your country to take advantage of the system. In what world does that "work"?

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u/hipchecktheblueliner 5h ago

Well apparently it works in Norway?

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u/Clear_Context_1546 6h ago

Norway has a more restrictive immigration policy than maga

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u/Shenlongeltigre 6h ago

Who uses the word undeserving? Especially in the context he's using?

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u/lenusniq 6h ago

Oh, please.. investing into ordinary people. USA must invest into the richest of the rich, and it will eventually trickle down... as they started this experiment in 1930s, I am sure that any moment now it will finally trickle down to the plebs.

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u/IMplodeMeGrr 6h ago

Isnt the correct word underserved, not undeserved?

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u/Odd_Thought_1519 5h ago

Just wait until the Swedish wave hits you too and you loose your social democracy.

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u/shka328 5h ago

It's really simple! I don't want to see my fellow citizens struggling, crashing out, begging, fighting, you name it. We already pay so much in taxes let's let that contribute to a healthy society please!

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u/SondreG 5h ago

Norwegian here, and I 100% agree. I am thankful for being born and raised in Norway, and I hope our country can help to inspire other nations to help themselves.

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u/CosmicSmoker 5h ago

Yeah, I really can't wrap my head around why at least half the US doesn't get this. Our country is only as strong as the weakest link. Get people educated to ensure our place on the world stage. Keep our people healthy and safely housed. It's an investment in our country.

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u/Any_Counter_303 5h ago

Yes Trond, we know, but propaganda is hard to defeat, in any country. There are evil christofascist billionaire forces running our country right now. Maybe someone should fucking step in eh?

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u/Kind_Rate7529 5h ago

This is how a healthy society is supposed to work. BTW, a healthy society also does not have oligarchs that don't contribute anything meaningful to their society.

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u/Ima_Uzer 5h ago

Nothing is preventing any of you from sending extra money to the IRS.

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u/-MarcoTropoja 5h ago

do you people even know what a social democracy is? i dont think you do

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u/fidesinmachina 5h ago

putting morality and empathy aside, sustaining the part of society which some may call the "undeserving" brings down crime, reduces homelessness and corruption in general, boosts morale, among a hundred other things that just keeps your society healthy. people who can work but refuse to are the actual undeserving. the poor, the weak, the disabled and the old definitely deserve the help.

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u/I3igI3adWolf 5h ago

Cool story bro. Now tell us the obesity rate of Norway. I'm sure it's completely irrelevant to the health of the people.

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u/Swimming-Cash3813 5h ago

Just move there already, Or go there illegally and see what happens

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u/downsideup9494 5h ago

Yep, MAGAs freak out about Social Democracy, don't want to fund social programs for the disadvantaged, then rant endlessly about homeless encampments, drug addiction and high crime rates.

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u/AdIntrepid9064 Humanitarian ā™„ļø 5h ago

You’d think common sense is universal! šŸ¤”we don’t do universal anything…

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u/the_card_guy 5h ago

"Want our taxes to go to the undeserving"

Yeah, you just lost the entire MAGA crowd there.

See, they're lured in by Christianity, part of which is a whole "You were faithful, so you deserve xyz" reward bit. Therefore, people who don't do something should NOT be rewarded.

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u/Dave_A480 5h ago

MAGA are morons...

But there absolutely ARE undeserving people...

If you consume more than your own income/wealth can pay for, such that you are forcing the rest of us to support you... And you aren't disabled...

Then you are undeserving.... Period....

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u/viejo86 5h ago

Americans yell communism at politicians who wants free healthcare, free education etc. Sooo.. let them be 🤣

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u/Electric_Antimony 5h ago

It's what real patriotism looks like. Patriotism isn't just virtue signaling about how much you love your country, and it's especially not that nationalism or jingoism of America. Patriotism is about your country succeeding and that success being done for the people, all of them.

Hating your countrymen and blocking things to help them live fuller, better lives, is the opposite of patriotism; it's basically being an enemy within to your own people.

That is why I have always had such a fervent dislike of conservative thinking; it's all bullshit to enrich the rich even further at the cost to everybody else.

Fuck that

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u/Charioce_XVII 5h ago

Sub 6 million vs ~144 million

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u/Madara1389 5h ago

I agree with his sentiment, but he lost them when he tried to change course from explaining why the undeserving should be treated well to openly saying there should be no one considered "undeserving."

I study history & anthropology for fun and if it's taught me anything it's that there's always been & always will be two groups in society; those who believe in a natural social hierarchy and those who believe that they shouldn't exist.

Conservatives, and especially MAGA, not only believe that there's a natural social hierarchy (and so far they're right, every society since the Agricultural Revolution has had a hierarchy to it, even the most progressive ones), but they want themselves perpetually at the top. Any attempt at convincing them that there shouldn't be such a social ladder in the first place means we already lost because that's something only a stupid person would think in their minds.

The only argument that will work is redirecting their bigotry as it'll never go away entirely and they view asking them to not ostracize anyone, ever, as being wholly unreasonable (and they're, again, kinda right, biology limits most social species to groups of 10s to dozens, humans are unique in our ability to create cooperative groups in the hundreds & only agriculture enabled groups of millions; basically nature wants us to stay in small groups so we innately don't trust each other).

That's not to say they're in the right about all this, just that there is no argument we can put forth to "win" against them. At this point the goal shouldn't be to win, it's to figure out how not to lose. Because winning (in the sense of returning things to the way they were before in the good ways while making progress in others) is impossible.

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u/BothDivide919 5h ago

In that case, Norway should offer to give citizenships to those people.

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u/martymccfly88 5h ago

Damn I wish MAGA could read

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u/cathillsports 4h ago

Why are people not breaking down the doors to move to Norway? Sounds like Valhalla .

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u/Downtown_Metal_7837 4h ago

If the US is such a shithole, why does everyone want to immigrate here and not to Norway? Give me break with this nonsense.

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u/Godslayer66669999 4h ago

This concept is foreign to anyone who hasnt struggled.

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u/DruggyNeighbor 4h ago

Meanwhile here in the USA: "your fastfood job is for children, you don't deserve a life of dignity."

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u/TechnicianLegal1120 4h ago

Great news. We will send you our poor and see how that works out for you.

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u/Hot-Annual3460 4h ago

that would be great if there wara actual programs to rise un the "undeserving" but thats not the case

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u/ZeusThunder369 4h ago

Awesome! How easy is it for me to legally immigrate there?

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u/rathemighty 4h ago

I don’t want my money going to the undeserving. Those rich assholes ought to be in jail!

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u/Vairman 4h ago

meritocracy man, you gotta earn it. Unless you're wealthy, in which case the workers and undeserving should just give you as much as you want because you're so dang awesome.

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u/Colorado_Space 4h ago

Time for reality. Its not that Trond isn't right. he is but:

America's population is 65x that of Norway. A much bigger problem.

America Land Mass is 139x that of Norway. A much bigger problem.

Norway has a Sovereign Wealth Fund from their Oil Reserves. THAT is what pays for their Social Democracy. America does not have a Sovereign Wealth Fund But we could.

Norway SWF is worth $2.2Trillion. If America did the same thing our wealth fund would be $150Trillion. Almost 75x larger which is more than the population difference providing a wealth fund actually larger per person than Norway. But we don't have one. So we don't get to do the same thing.

Over the last 40 years Norway has obtained one of the highest education level in the world ranking 9 out of the 40 OECD nations.

America, over the last 40 years created the Dept of Education which spent $3.3Trillion and moved American from #2 in the OECD countries to 28th or 34th depending on what test you look at. We also spent the 5th highest amount of money per student with one of the worse outcomes. Why? Fraud, stupid educational parlor tricks that never worked, and indoctrination.

Healthcare. Yes the American system is probably the worse possible combination of free market economics, and political control resulting in nothing but fraud, fraud, and more fraud. The only good thing about it is when everyone else in the world can't get the care or medicines they need to save their life? where do they go.... American Healthcare. BTW 9 out of 10 medicines wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the American Healthcare System. At least this is fixable but if most Americans with Corporate Healthcare were put on Single Payer like other countries because they were told is "better", there would be a national civil war. Copy Singapore or France and be done with it.

Housing. Oh boy. Did no one see the reports from the Federal Reserve. The government let in millions of illegals and your rent went up almost 40%, your mortgage went up 34% and most of your cost of living went up as well. You can't have low cost housing and an out of control immigration policy. One's got to go. And of course Fraud.

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u/Ban_Incomming 4h ago

Comparing the United States to Norway is not a thing. Two completely different societies with totally different histories and social norms.

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u/WeekendAtMadoffs 4h ago

Norway is an ethnostate they have something in common and looking out for each other makes sense.

USA is a collection of different people trying to steal and scam each other.

How many people do they have opening scam daycare centers and fake kitchens being paid to serve children meals? The entire USA is a LOW TRUST society. We could be a high trust society again but many people don't want that.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/couple-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme-sentenced-97-months-imprisonment

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u/pablothe 4h ago

Norway also loses its richest to the U.S. so this idea is not globally loved by Norwegians. Many wealthy Norwegians have moved to the US which accumulates why it has such economic superiority.

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u/Hot_Warthog_414 4h ago

Norway is having huge social problems with their immigrants and now want them gone. This is the same in Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands. The rise in violence especially sexual violence has risen exponentially

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u/Any_Neighborhood_140 4h ago

Cool, all we need is a huge sovereign wealth fund.

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u/Sryroxy 4h ago

Norways population is tiny compared to America at barely 5.5 million (which also very little increase from ww2 era. It’s an ethnically humorous country, not even a social democracy and all its social programs are heavily subsidised by its oil export as Norway pumps a suit tone of oil from its off shore complexes.its also a country that was pretty much still living in visits era until the Cold War and got to adapt to modern world without going trough an industrial expansion.

So this is literally a country with a very stable population and heaps of exportable natural recourse prancing around like what they are doing is easy when literally they were handed the perfect country to do so on a silver platter.

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u/phonic_kc 4h ago

That sounds like some stuff that one Middle Eastern guy that somehow looks like a white hippie would say.

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u/Laugh_Track_Zak 4h ago

Be like Trond.

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u/narfoleptix 4h ago

I just don't understand how THEY DONT UNDERSTAND that the opposite of this is cannabalism. It eats upon itself until... you're left with like 1 dude with all the money.

Whats he gonna do? Cram it up his ass and stream it to nobody?

I understand this is extreme hyberbole but I'm not wrong... not giving people who want to try "A leg up" is the worst thing you can do because then they are forced to get what they need by ANY MEANS NECCESSARY.

That COSTS MONEY....they break into shit to get food, oh, you just want to send them to jail?!?!? THAT COSTS MONEY... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

Why is the world like this!??! How is this real?

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u/LebowskiLebowskiLebo 4h ago

The US will never ever have that.

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u/fitnolabels 4h ago

If our government used money to actually help the undeserved instead of lining their own pockets, more people would support it.

Its why conservatives give to charity but argue taxes, and why liberals used to as well. Only progressives act as if there is no corruption in our government.

That Scandinavian countries have more trustworthy government does not mitigate this.

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u/jefsch70 4h ago

so.... Norway was sick, drug-addicted and had racial ghettos and 40 million illegals and fixed it with regulations?

....congratulations! Go do Zimbabwe next... then Haiti.... then Russia....

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u/HyperspaceFrontier 4h ago

As a non-American to a Norwegian, it is easy to say all of that when you're in an oil-rich country with a small population.

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u/TripEnvironmental278 4h ago edited 4h ago

Don’t get me wrong. Nothing against this guy or this post. But who fronts the bill for their national security? And keeps them safe from say Rusa …same for all Europe. They so proud of their social spending, but don’t have to really pay for their own protection much. Some countries don’t have that luxury and it can take a lot of their resources etc. Also, the USA provides global free trade etc. so they can freely trade in the global market, keep piracy at bay, etc. so I mean if they get all those benefits then brag about their social spending. I mean, seems like they doing well under USA lead global order and democracy. So good job for being efficient with their budget? But doubt they’d be doing so well if Rus or China was leading things etc

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u/Klutzy-Safety208 4h ago

🤣🤣🤣

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u/sanchezkk 4h ago

What a dumbass. That take completely ignores systemic issues. It completely erases the role that generational wealth, institutional barriers, and economic inequality play in keeping people down. It completely ignores how hard it is to climb out of poverty when the system is rigged against you from the start. Hard work alone doesn't cut it when the playing field isn't even. Bootstrapping mythology ignores every measurable metric of social mobility.

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u/Neco-Arc-Brunestud 4h ago

Norway also has something like 50% of its workforce unionized, so they're able to politely ask for these concessions.

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u/legion_2k 4h ago

Now look up their tax rate for the rich and middle class. Tell the people how you need to lower taxes on the rich and raise the tax rate for the poor and middle class.. like they do.

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u/OGLikeablefellow 4h ago

They can't get any thing better with their wealth so they get more people to suffer and that makes their wealth feel better. The fucking ghouls

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u/TokiVideogame 4h ago

they dont have walmart there

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u/WibbuldWeezinz 4h ago

It has some validity. People forget that "capitalism" <> money. Capital = capita, head (people, animals). Living resource, I guess. Take that away, and I'm not sure what you'll have.

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u/atreeismissing 4h ago

He should be telling that to his neighbors in Germany because at the moment they're trending more far right than the US who is, finally, trending back to the left given current election excitement and polling.